Into a Killer's Mind
by amber-energy
Summary: Karasu is still alive, in a coma, and threatens to distort the world to his liking from new powers. Only one can stop him by going into his mind. Guess who the lucky one is?
1. New problem

New story! Yay!! I am just going to absolutely love writing this one because it has Karasu in it! I got this idea from the movie the cell, about going into a mind of an insane person. But the story is completely different from it! Just that idea. I must warn ya, Karasu's mind is unstable, so inside it is going to be very disturbing. But that makes it only more interesting. Well anyways, here's the beginning! Hope you like.  
  
"Hahahahahaha! Take that evil Makai scum! Yeah, not so tough now are you?!" Alone in his imperial hall, the prince of Reikai was busily at work participating in a most imperative video game. (That was sarcasm by the way.)  
  
"Oh, uh huh, who kicks undead demon ass? I do! One more level, and I will be the ultimate champion of Makai Zombies 1001! Come on, one more, daddy needs a new high record! Almost, almost there, annnddddd- "KOENMA SIR!!! I'VE GOT AN IMPORTANT REPORT, SIR!" Koenma face faulted to the ground at the unexpected yell.  
  
The toddler then glimpsed up in horror as his mighty video character was engulfed in a swarm of green flames. Koenma got up with his back turned to Jorge as the words GAME OVER flashed over and over on the giant screen. "Aaa, Koenma, sir, about this report- sir?"  
  
Jorge cautiously walked over to the silent figure. He placed his hand on Koenma's shoulder to turn him around. Boy, was he ever sorry. "AGGGGGHHHHH!! LOOK WHAT YOU'VE DONE YOU INCOMPENT ORGE!! I WAS ON THE LAST LEVEL! I WAS THIS CLOSE TO WINNING, BUT NOW I HAVE TO START ALL OVER AGAIN!"  
  
Koenma then took a ruler off his desk and began to chase the poor ogre around his office. "Koenma, sir, remember your breathing steps! Uhhh, count to 10!" "Agghh, count this!!" The little toddler, despite his size, managed to tackle Jorge, and now was repetitively clobbering the ogre in the head.  
  
"But, sir, oww, the report, oww, it's a Class five, oww, emergency!" "Nani?!! A Class five?!! Well, why didn't you say so in the first place?!!" The miniature prince snatched up the tussled folder scanning over it, while Jorge, miserable, rubbed at his newly arisen bruises. "But sir, I tried to tell you"- "No time to talk ogre, I got to get Botan up here!" Koenma reached towards his intercom.  
  
"Hello?" inquired a chirper and cheery voice. "Botan, this is Koenma, and I need to see you in my office immediately!" "Koenma, sir, you sound a bit flustered, is there something wrong?" "Please, Botan, just come up and I'll explain everything." "Hai, right away sir." Botan replied without delay for she could hear the graveness in his voice.  
  
"Oh, my, sir, this is disaster!" Botan exclaimed as she set the papers down. "So you see the fix that Ningenkai is in if we don't figure this out. We'd better contact Yusuke and the others as soon as possible." The young prince stated firmly. "Koenma, sir, I know the team has experienced all sorts of dilemmas, but this by far surpasses anything they have been through. I don't think they could handle it."  
  
"If you think that's a problem, then you don't know the half of it." "Like what sir?" Botan asked in a very concerned manner. "I don't really want to explain myself twice, so let's go down and locate Yusuke and the others." "You want to come with me, sir?" Questioned Botan with shock. "Of, course, it's faster that way. Besides it's not like I never been there before." "Well if you're sure, then we'd better depart for Yusuke's school, since he has it right now."  
  
"Then it's decided, we'll make for the school and have Yusuke and Kuwabara find Hiei and Kurama as well." Exclaimed the toddler. The two then made their way out of Reikai with great haste.  
  
"So, whadda ya want to do today, Urameshi?" Kuwabara asked Yusuke as he lay strewn across a park bench. "Baka, you've ask me that 14 times already, and I've told you I don't know." Yusuke replied in irritation leaning against a cedar tree. "Maybe we should just head back to school, cause I don't see a point in ditching if there is nothin' to do." Kuwabara stated dully.  
  
"Anything's better than that hell hole people call school. What about the arcade?" Yusuke asked bored stiff. "Nah, I heard from Okubo that it's closed down for repairs." "Whatever. Man, this is so stupid! I'm so bored, I'd rather be on a case!" Yusuke cried out in discontent. "Careful what you wish for Urameshi, it could come true." (Kuwabara's sixth sense is stronger than even he knows.)  
  
"What? Getting a case? Come on, you know there hasn't been activity in Ningenkai for two months, all demons are too tired to start anything since the end of the Dark Tournament." Yusuke replied uninterested. "Hai, I suppose you're right." Kuwabara answered dolefully. "Of course I am." Yusuke finished as he slowly sunk to the base of the tree and fell into a bored slumber.  
  
Yusuke was dreaming of being front row at the Martial Arts Tournament when he was awoken by a loud screech. "YUSUKE, YOU LAZY EXCUSE FOR A DECTECTIVE! WAKE UP ALREADY!!" "Nani?!" Yusuke yelled as he was suddenly thrown from his magical dream world into reality, in which Botan was smacking him upside the head. "I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU'D BE SLEEPING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DAY WHEN YOU SHOULD BE AT SCHOOL!!" Botan screamed furiously as the young teen cleaned out the ringing in his ears from Botan's piercing voice.  
  
"Go away Botan, I'm not in the mood for your nagging." Yusuke sighed lazily stretching out his arms in a yawn. That was the last straw. Botan threw a sharp punch with her oar into Yusuke's stomach. "OWWW!" Yusuke yelled making the birds in the tree scatter away.  
  
"Sheesh Botan, you sure can hit pretty damn hard when you want to." Yusuke said massaging his abdomen. "Serve you right for being so discourteous when Koenma and I have important news!" Botan shouted back at him. Yusuke rubbed at his eyes and looked around. Botan, Kuwabara, Kurama, Hiei, and Koenma in his teenager form were standing around him impatiently.  
  
"Hey, what's with the faces?" Yusuke asked unthinkingly. "Well, if a certain someone had been awake, he would have known that Koenma has an important case to explain about!" Botan replied, irritated. "A case? That's weird. Kuwabara and I were just talking about that. Wait, how come we got a case? I thought demons were too tired." Yusuke inquired in confusion with a yawn.  
  
"Yes, well you see one demon in particular is restless unfortunately, and it is a situation that must be handled immediately." Koenma stepped up in explaining. "Great. Don't they know when to quit? Yusuke laughed to himself. "I suppose you guys already know about it?" Yusuke asked the rest of his team.  
  
"No, Yusuke, we've being waiting for you to wake up so I could enlighten you all at the same time." Koenma replied annoyed. "Oh, wow, sorry 'bout that." Yusuke apologized getting to his feet and brushing himself off. "Anyway, I shall tell you all why you I have called you together." Koenma began.  
  
"Please do. And make it fast, I don't want any more of my time wasted." Hiei added in coldly. "Yes, Hiei, what a shame it would be to waste your time." Koenma replied aggravated.  
  
"As I was saying, you all have been gathered for an imperative reason. A demon stuck in an unconscious state has somehow gained a great power. Without Reikai knowing of it, he gained the ability to distort this reality from deep inside his mind."  
  
"Wait, what does that mean?" Kuwabara questioned puzzled. "You really are an idiot. I would've thought your brain would be semi-intelligent, considering the fact you've never used it before." Hiei remarked coolly. "Why don't you shut it, Shimp!" Kuwabara said angrily as he got into a defensive stance. "Now, now children, you can play some other time." Botan interrupted.  
  
"I can always explain this when it's more convenient." Koenma stated angrily. No one spoke. "It means, Kuwabara, that this demon, when his power has reached it's maximum, will be able to mold the Ningenkai as he likes, and bring himself to be able to completely dominate the world. His mind world will become reality, and the life as you know it will cease to exist.  
  
Everyone stared at Koenma fully alert at the seriousness of the situation. "Furthermore, once the stages of this have been complete, it will be irreversible, even by the Reikai. We have set up a machine using a portal to travel into that demon's mind and stop him."  
  
"Wait, why don't you just kill the guy if he's sleeping?" Yusuke asked naively. "Well, you see Yusuke, while we would like to do that, we do not know of his location. You see the portal only can connect to the mind, not tell of its location. In order to do so, we need someone to download their mind into his mind in order for the signal from a tracker to find his location. Then hopefully we'll be able to find his body, bring back the person's mind, and kill the demon."  
  
"Are you crazy?!! There are so many things that could go wrong!" Yusuke and Kuwabara both shouted. "I know it's risky, but we have no other alternative. Believe me, if there was any other way, I would take it. It's fortunate we even know before it would be too late. The demon has already possess the power to go into the minds of ningens; we must act quickly." Koenma stated firmly.  
  
"Koenma, one question, have you received information containing the identity of this demon?" Kurama inquired. "Yes." Koenma replied gravely. "Well, who the heck is it?" Yusuke asked impatiently. "You all have met him before I believe. He was a contestant of the Dark Tournament. On Toguro's team." Kurama suddenly grew very pale and his eyes widened as Koenma turned directly at him. "Karasu." Koenma confirmed to Kurama's terror. The fox felt himself trembling from the inside out, but in realizing what he was doing, tried desperately to hide it, hoping no one noticed.  
  
"We believe that Karasu must be getting help in the physical world, but all this is uncertain until we get inside his mind." Koenma finished. "Great that creep's back. Well, we'll just have to put him in his place again, won't we, Kurama?" Yusuke said smiling, patting Kurama on the back. Kurama nodded uneasily to Yusuke with a fake smile, but that phony attitude was replaced with frightened eyes and a frown as the fox looked away anxiously.  
  
"We is not the correct word Yusuke." Koenma started. "Kurama is the only one going to make this journey." Kurama looked directly into Koenma's eyes imploring for a mistake in what he heard, his green orbs filled with rising fear. Koenma felt badly for the fox's uneasiness, but knew he had to keep going. He began to explain futher.  
  
Unfortunately, Yusuke cut him off. "Nani? Kurama? What are you talking about?" Yusuke inquired madly. Hiei and Kuwabara too, were in shock. "It must be Kurama and only Kurama." Koenma stated as he looked at Kurama. The fox felt himself shy away from the prince's gaze like he had just been slapped.  
  
"But why only Kurama?!!" Yusuke shouted perplexed at why not all of them. "I regret to say only one person at a time is capable of this procedure." Koenma started but Yusuke cut him off yet again. "Wait, if one person is needed than why did you being all of us to hear you in the first place?"  
  
"Because Kurama can decline if he chooses, then someone else will take his place." Koenma added, angry at being interrupted. "I hope, however, that will not be necessary. You see I chose Kurama as the candidate for two reasons. In Karasu's mind, physical strength is of no use, only an exceptionally intelligent and crafty person could survive in an environment like that, and Kurama is the most eligible of those categories.  
  
Secondly, Kurama fought against Karasu in the Tournament and knows him on a closer basis, perhaps even able to predict what he'll do. Koenma announced staring at the fox whose eyes were turned towards the ground, in a firm fix, not making a sound.  
  
Hiei, noticing the timidity in the fox, was the first to speak up. "Koenma, you fool, you can't expect Kurama to go into that freak's mind, where he'll be at his mercy if found out. Especially considering the fact that that psycho and Kurama- "Hiei!" Kurama defiantly said as if it was a command to Hiei. "But Kurama- Hiei started, but Kurama turned to him, eyes pleading for him to not say anything more, and Hiei backed down. "Fine, Kurama, let them know the half-truth, let them send you into that nightmare land. If that's what you decided, I don't have a need to be here." Hiei said angrily and with that vanished.  
  
"What the hell is the runt talking about?" Kuwabara asked perplexed. "It's nothing." Kurama replied quietly. "Kurama, this is a lot to ask of you, I would understand perfectly if it is too much for you to handle." Koenma added with concern.  
  
Kurama said nothing but started to walk away. "Kurama! Where are you going?" Yusuke and Koenma shouted at the same time. Kurama stopped and remained still for a while. Then with a heavy heart, he slowly turned around.  
  
There was a sad and troubled look upon his face, but he nonetheless spoke. "I am afraid to do it." "Kurama we all understand, nobody- "But we all do what we must," Kurama cut Yusuke off with intensity in his eyes, "It shall be done."  
  
Oh no! Can't you just feel Kurama's pain! It's so sad! But that's why this is in the Angst section. First chappie done. Just when ya thought Karasu was gone for good! By the way, in this story, I hope to retain Karasu's true image as much as possible. Sure he is psycho, but also understand Karasu is not your ordinary villain. He is very sophisticated and suave, so I don't want to butcher that and make him out to be a flake, or butcher the complicity of his mind. Hope I can do it justice! Bye for now! 


	2. Unfamiliar world, familiar ki

Second chapter finally! This one was so long! But that's good, cause when I have to wait for a stupid writer to hurry up, I always like a long one! Here's my traditional random quote. Actually it's not all that random. I think it fits well. "Beauty, of whatever kind, invariably excites the soul to tears." – Edgar Allen Poe. And here's another. I just put it in because I wanted to. Roses are red, violets are blue, sugar is sweet and so are you. HOWEVER...the roses are wilting, the violets are dead, the sugar bowl is empty and so is your head. Okay back to the story.  
  
Anxiety hung on the air as the Reikai Tantei, excluding Hiei, waited in silence. They all knew the seriousness of the situation, especially Kurama, who at this point was gazing out the window, and sighed out in melancholy.  
  
Kurama focused his attention on the rain drizzling onto the pane of glass that separated him from the outside. He pressed his hand against the chilled windowpane, wishing he could be on the outside, far from the predicament troubling him now.  
  
"Hey, how you doing?" Yusuke asked in concern, lightly pressing his hand to Kurama's shoulder.  
  
"I don't really know. Somehow I'll manage." Kurama said, keeping his eyes on the falling shower.  
  
Yusuke backed away, realizing Kurama wasn't in the greatest mood to talk. Suddenly Koenma slid open door to the room they all were waiting in.  
  
"The final preparations have been made. Now if you all will come with me, we can begin the procedure." Koenma rotated to proceed and steer the group down the hallway. Kuwabara and Yusuke started to leave, when Yusuke noticed Kurama wasn't following them.  
  
"Hey Kurama, it's time." Yusuke called out softly to his friend. "Hm?" Kurama turned his head to face Yusuke. "Oh, right." Kurama rose from his seat and left the room with Yusuke following.  
  
When they reached the transportation room, many ogres were operating on computers and busily working with equipment for the trip. "Kurama, Yusuke, over here." Koenma spoke to the two from the far corner of the room.  
  
"Now, I shall have Shihan, here, demonstrate how the tools you will use on your mission work, Kurama." Koenma informed presenting an oni with particularly large spectacles.  
  
"Arigatou, Koenma-sama. The first implement we have constructed for your use, Kurama-san, is the tracker. It is a microchip that is installed in to your headset you will wear. It will send us the electronical impulses from your mind to a large screen we have here." Shihan finished revealing a large mainframe behind him.  
  
"The longer you are in the youkai's mind, the more impulses we can receive, making it more trouble-free to find the youkai. Understand, it is very vital that you stay in there long enough, or the mission will collapse." Kurama stirred uneasily at this.  
  
"The second item is this arm brace. It will open a portal in your mind, letting you communicate us. You'll find it will be downloaded onto your virtual self's arm as well. Make sure to take care of it, because the physical and mental braces are linked, and if one is damaged, the other will not work."  
  
"And the third item, of course, is the transport pod which will send your psyche into the youkai's mind." He concluded, presenting an oval glass altar with many wires linked to it.  
  
"Arigatou." Kurama thanked bowing his head. "Douitashimashite." The oni bowed back. (By the way that really long word just stated above is the equivalent to 'don't mention it.') The oni set the tools on the pod and walked away to work at another station.  
  
"Wow, this is creepy, you guys." Kuwabara said picking up the headset and examining it.  
  
"More like a science fiction story gone wrong." Yusuke added looking around at all the machinery and wires.  
  
"Yeah, I'd be totally freaked to use it." Kuwabara said without thinking. Yusuke and Kurama glared at Kuwabara. "But you know, I'm sure it's safe! I wouldn't be that scared!"  
  
Kuwabara added quickly to recover from his previous statement. "Besides," Kuwabara laughed awkwardly, "Kuwabara Kazuma is the man! He fears nothing!" Kuwabara continued laughing, but it soon died down when he realized Hiei wasn't there for him to insult him. "Whatever." Yusuke replied uncaringly.  
  
Kuwabara sighed; he kinda of missed Hiei making his smart remarks, not that he would EVER tell anyone.  
  
Little to their knowledge, Hiei was there.  
  
He had stayed hidden above on the rafters of the tall ceiling, masking his ki. He didn't particularly want to join the others, seeing how he was still angry with Kurama for his decision.  
  
But Hiei knew the real reason that had pushed him to pursue the others. It was that he did really care. To him, caring was a weakness. And that was something he did not want to show to the group, especially Kurama. So he remained silent, observing from above.  
  
"Kurama, are you ready?" Koenma inquired as he walked beside him. "I am." Kurama replied with his face indifferent and his eyes shielding all emotion he might be feeling.  
  
"And you're sure that you can do this? The mission would be very much dependent on what you do." Koenma questioned, hopeful that Kurama was out of his gloominess funk.  
  
"Koenma, I have already stated I am up to the challenge," Kurama retorted coolly, "I will not let the Ningenkai down, I promise you that." Kurama added on a stronger note.  
  
"Very well. Shihan, start up the generator." Koenma ordered as the pod lit up different neon colors. Kurama walked over to the altar and placed on his wrist the arm brace. He elegantly slid his slender body into the pod, while Kuwabara came from behind and handed him the headset.  
  
"Good luck, Kurama." Kuwabara said encouragingly.  
  
"Arigatou," Kurama smiled as he placed the headset on.  
  
"Hey, Kurama! "Make sure to kick his ass again for all of us!" Yusuke called out giving Kurama thumbs up, smirking. Kurama laughed to himself, and for a brief moment smiled.  
  
"All is ready, Koenma-sama." An oni reported from a computer.  
  
"Initiate count down," Koenma replied.  
  
"INTIATING COUNT DOWN." The computer spoke as oni typed away furiously. The pod's glass cover descended over the crown of the pod, and Kurama closed his eyes, awaiting what would happen next.  
  
"TRANSPORTATION IN, TEN, NINE, EIGHT, SEVEN, SIX, FIVE, FOUR- Kurama tightened his fists- THREE, TWO, ONE. Hiei watched from above intently. "Be careful, fox.' He whispered.  
  
The pod glowed an intense white, and Kurama's head jerked back as he felt his body being sucked into a portal, which was actually the splitting of his body and mental self. Kurama was thrown into a threshold of lights as his self ripped at high speed its way through the tunnel.  
  
Kurama then abruptly stopped. He opened his eyes slowly. There were swirls of light encircling the space he was floating in. Kurama got up gradually, shaking still from the trip. But as soon as he got on his feet, the space collapsed, and he felt himself fall into darkness.  
  
Kurama suddenly saw a light opening below him as he plummeted his way down. The light embraced him and through it, he fell into a new world.  
  
Kurama gracefully landed on solid ground, something for which he was thankful for. He brushed himself off as he gazed around at where he had landed.  
  
It appeared to be fairly similar to a normal forest. And that's what scared Kurama the most.  
  
'Am I in the right place? Surely this can't be Karasu's mind?' Kurama thought to himself as he cautiously strode through the foliage. 'Perhaps I did something wrong, wait no,' Kurama shook his head, 'I can sense Karasu's ki faintly in this world. It's even in the trees.' Kurama told himself.  
  
'So much for my influence on plants. I doubt trying to use something saturated with his ki would be successful.' Kurama grimaced. Kurama was surprised that his walk through the forest did not take long.  
  
He soon found himself stumbling onto a crooked black road. Kurama scanned the horizon. Ahead of him was a huge castle with looming thunderclouds and a bizarre darkness the encompassed the area.  
  
Kurama had a strong feeling that he did not want to go to that castle at all. He had a pretty good guess at what or who lurked there.  
  
A strange wind arose out of nowhere. Kurama's concentration was still on the castle, but was directed to the sound of the wind. There were murmurs in the wind, or at least that what he thought.  
  
'What is it saying?' Kurama pondered intensely, as he cocked his head to the side and closed his eyes to listen more closely. The wind suddenly began to whirl around him, encircling him in a current of air.  
  
"Kurama. Kurama." It whispered and called into Kurama's ear.  
  
Kurama's eyes shot open with intense horror. He attempted to escape, but the wind was pushing him intently forward, towards the castle.  
  
"No!" Kurama yelled out loud as he struggled against the current pulling him in.  
  
Kurama thrashed and twisted violently, but the wind was unyielding.  
  
"No stop!" Kurama cried. 'Don't take me to him. Please not to him.' Kurama thought in anguish.  
  
Kurama had to find something to hold on to, and fast. He dug his nails into the earth, and held on to the ground as tight as he could. The wind just as abruptly as it had started, halted.  
  
Kurama pushed himself up little by little, and finally managed to get back on his feet. Kurama sighed in relief as he was finally able to get off the black road.  
  
Kurama looked around at where he should go next. The farthest away from the castle was his best bet. So he planned to travel low in the tall grass stalks. Maybe there he would have a better chance at keeping concealed, since Karasu probably was aware of Kurama. Kurama laughed bitterly to himself. 'He's going to have to try harder than that if he wants to catch this kitsune.'  
  
Kurama really shouldn't have thought that. Just as he headed to the grass stalks, he heard the most ear-piercing shriek.  
  
Kurama clasped his hands to his ears to block the sound, and turned around. "Nani?!" Kurama exclaimed in disbelief.  
  
He now had pursuers. Creatures of considerable size formed out of the forest, upright with large crow wings on their backs and razor-sharp beaks. "Oh, come on." Kurama cried in exasperation.  
  
Kurama ripped his way through the stalks, seeing as they could give him cover. Kurama didn't dare turn around, that would take time, and that was something he didn't have. If the situation wasn't bad enough, the demons were extremely fast too.  
  
Kurama kept running as hard as he could through. He decided to dart into the forest considering their scent was right behind him. Kurama sprang from the stalks and bolted into the woods.  
  
'I cannot keep this up forever. I have to lose them at all costs.' Kurama thought to himself. He could hear their cries getting louder and louder. He had to think of something fast. "Over here, quick!" A voice spoke from his left. Kurama glanced over quickly to see a face of a young man poking out from the brush. "Do you want to lose them or not?!" The boy motioned for Kurama to follow.  
  
Kurama looked back over his shoulder to see they were closing in on him. So he took a wild chance, despite his instincts telling him to keeping on running straight. "Stay close behind now or you'll get lost in the brush." The boy hastily spoke as he leapt and ducked between the overgrowths of vegetation.  
  
Kurama ran hard, something easy for a kitsune, but it was difficult to follow one who darted left and right. Finally, after a couple of minutes, Kurama found himself in a clearing. "Hello?" He asked warily as he lost sight of his guide.  
  
"Hey, over here." The boy said from a top a large tree scanning the horizon. "Looks like we've lost them. You're very lucky. Your thoughts are far too loud for your own good."  
  
"My thoughts can be heard?" Kurama asked, puzzled. "Newbie, huh? Well, I suppose should explain then." The boy hopped down from the tree and walked towards Kurama.  
  
"You see in this neoteric world you now find yourself in, feeling and thought vibrations can be heard by others, if they are contemplated too intensely. I myself had to learn to control and block them in order to stay concealed. Believe me it wasn't easy initially." The boy informed.  
  
"That could prove to be a challenge. Not to mention the challenge of those things chasing me." Kurama thought out loud. "By the way, what exactly were those things?" He asked earnestly.  
  
"Tengu." The boy spoke with disgust for them. "They're the overseer's 'pets', I believe."  
  
"So much for a devious entrance." Kurama muttered to himself.  
  
"It's too bad you met up with them; they can be a hell of nuisance to escape if you don't know where you're going. Speaking of which, why were they chasing you? I don't think they've ever been so quick to try and capture a ningen on their arrival."  
  
"A ningen?" Kurama asked assuming that the boy knew what he was.  
  
"Huh? You mean you aren't a ningen?" The boy questioned, surprised.  
  
"Well, no, actually it's kind of a long story." Kurama answered awkwardly.  
  
"Huh. So, you're different then." The boy backed away a little not being used to friendly terms with a demon.  
  
"And your ningen judging by your scent." Kurama replied sensing the aura around the young man.  
  
"Oh, I'm sorry. That must be particularly unsettling for a ningen to hear." Kurama reprimanded himself for not thinking before he spoke. However the boy continued just the same.  
  
"It's not at all unsettling compared to things I've heard, things I've seen," he spoke quietly and shivered. "How long have you been a captive here?" Kurama asked wondering what damage had been done to this guy.  
  
"I'm not sure about time anymore. I left that when I left my world." He replied with sorrow in his tarnished brown orbs underlined with shadow from the lack of sleep.  
  
"When were you last in our world, the ningenkai?" Kurama asked solemnly. "On the 8th." The boy said, remembering. "That was two weeks ago." Kurama said to himself out loud.  
  
"Two weeks, huh? Feels longer." The boy responded soberly, his eyes drifting off into emptiness.  
  
"I'm sure Karasu is also capable of distort time, as well as surroundings." Kurama said in a cold fix to the ground.  
  
"Karasu? You know his name?" The young man perked up his head in interest. "Then you must have met him before. Was he an enemy of yours?" He asked with curiosity.  
  
"You're pretty sharp. Yes, he was an adversary of mine, for lack of better words." Kurama shuddered at the very memory of their past battle.  
  
"Guess that explains why those beasts were after you. I assume he was aware of your presence." "Well, he is now." Kurama added hopelessly.  
  
There was a silence between them. Suddenly the boy got up holding his hand to his head. "Wow, I'm sorry, I've been talking all this time and I forgot to introduce myself.  
  
The name's Tebiki." He said cordially, clasping his hands and bowing a little.  
  
"And yours is?" Kurama hesitated to say his real name, but feeling no ill vibrations coming from this boy, he decided to utter it anyway.  
  
"I am called Kurama."  
  
It's time for Japanese Mythology with amber energy! -Tengu are woodland demons associated with crows and have large beaks. Their mystical powers include shape-shifting into humanoid forms, the ability to speak without moving their mouth, and the magic to appear uninvited in the dreams of mortals.  
  
Yeah, that's all folks for this chapter. Sorry I couldn't keep going, but I had to stop somewhere. But no worries, I'm getting to the next one ASAP. So Kurama now has a little aid to help him stay out of sight. But unfortunately, you'll see Karasu is well aware of the familiar kitsune in his mind. In fact he has a few plans for his favorite redhead (which you'll get to hear about next chapter; I'm so excited to finally have Karasu appear since this is partly his story) soon we'll see what he has in store for his 'guest of honor.'  
  
And what about Tebiki? What is going to become of him? This is the angst section so I could kill him off just as easily. Or not. What do you guys think I should do? Thumbs up or down? But don't worry. I'm definitely not going to make this a Tebiki x Kurama chronicle. This is about Karasu and Kurama. Okay that's all, so see ya!! 


	3. Emptiness

* * *

Hello fellow fanfic writers and readers! Here is another chappie! I'll get right to the story, but first the quote! It's from Alice in Wonderland! No not the Disney remake. From the book. I found it fitting. "Visit either you like: they're both mad." "But I don't want to go among mad people." "Oh, you can't help that, we're all mad here. I'm mad. You're mad." "How do you know I'm mad?" "You must be, or you wouldn't have come here."

* * *

"Your Kurama?! The Kurama?!" Tebiki asked at full volume.  
  
"Please, not so loud." Kurama whispered striving to keep Tebiki's voice low.  
  
"Are you really Kurama?" Tebiki questioned, more soft.  
  
"Well, my name is Kurama. But I don't know if I'm the someone you're talking about."  
  
"Are you the kitsune youkai, Kurama?" Tebiki narrowed his inquiry.  
  
"Yes, that is I."  
  
"What are you doing here?!" Tebiki demanded with his hands on his hips.  
  
"Excuse me?" Kurama asked, surprised at the sudden rudeness of Tebiki.  
  
"You told me you knew Karasu, but I never imagined that you would be Kurama! I mean it does make sense I guess. Tengu, repulsive as they are, don't chase normal people. At least they didn't chase me for a while." Tebiki explained, going off.  
  
"So, you've heard of me? How flattering." Kurama said sarcastically.  
  
"If you're who you say you are, why are you here? Do you know what he'd do to you if he got a hold of you?" Tebiki looked at Kurama like he was nuts.  
  
"Oh, I can think of a few things. And all of them are more than exceptionally disturbing." Kurama shuddered at the notion.  
  
"Then you must have come here with a death wish. Or is it that you came not of your own motivation? That's it, right?" The boy deduced.  
  
"Something along that line." Kurama replied sadly.  
  
"Oh. Well, in that case, I sympathize for you." Tebiki shrugged his shoulders.  
  
"Um...thanks I suppose." Kurama knew he felt dismayed about coming here, but having a stranger pity him kinda made him feel awkward.  
  
"I assume you've gone through a lot, even for being a demon and all. Wanna take a rest?"  
  
"Umm..." Kurama wasn't so sure he wanted to let his guard down. He felt he could trust in the boy, but he didn't particularly like the fact of being completely vulnerable. On the other hand, he was flat out exhausted. The travel had tapped out most of his energy.  
  
"I guess that..." Kurama stopped. Tebiki was giving Kurama a look like, '_I know what's best, so suck it up I do as I say._' And Kurama was in no mood to put up a protest.  
  
"Rest sounds great." Kurama replied finally, smiling.  
  
"Great. I'll keep watch." Tebiki smiled back.  
  
Kurama lowered himself to the ground. It wasn't all that cozy, but as a thief, he had gotten use to uncomfortable places, so it would do. Kurama lids fell before he could make another thought.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Hey, how's Kurama doing?" Yusuke asked earnestly, from a seat next to Kurama entombed body in crystal casing.  
  
"Yusuke, you asked me that 15 minutes ago. Things haven't changed.' Koenma replied unenthusiastically from a large chair next to where an ogre was working on an immense computer unit.  
  
"You're obviously weary, Yusuke, might I suggest a nap? Koenma probably won't have the location of Karasu for you to go to for a while." Botan asked tranquilly putting a hand on Yusuke's shoulder.  
  
"Are you crazy? Kurama's my good friend. There's no way I'm going to abandon him. Besides, I promised I'd be there for him." Yusuke said irritated, scooting the seat closer to the case.  
  
"Yusuke, you're not abandoning your friend by going into another room and taking a break. And you're going to need your strength when you have to track Karasu. He could be very hard to deal with even once we find him for all we know." Botan informed in a gentle tone.  
  
"Urameshi, Botan's right. Kurama is my friend too, but if we keep on wasting energy on staying awake, we won't have any to beat that creep, where Kurama needs us the most." Kuwabara stepped in. He too was looking weary. His hair was a mess, eyelids heavy, and his hands drooped weightily at his side.  
  
"I guess you're right, Kuwabara." Yusuke said with a yawn. "Just a little bit of sleep."  
  
Yusuke picked himself up slowly as he and Kuwabara made their way dragging to the door. "Don't go anywhere, kay buddy?" Yusuke turned back and said jokingly at Kurama.  
  
Though the two boys left the room, they did not notice the two crimson eyes that shone through the darkness from above, and would remain there, even after they had left. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Kurama stirred in his sleep. He was having a nightmare. In his mind, he was falling continually through a dark abyss, to which he could not tell if it had an end.  
  
Kurama groaned as he rolled over and over, the dream was causing great discomfort.  
  
Finally, when he could take no more of the dark oblivion, he focused his mind to thrust his eyes open and wake up.  
  
Maybe the darkness was better.  
  
Kurama woke up to find a disturbing fact. Everything was gone. The trees, the sky, all of it had been sucked into a void of white emptiness.  
  
Kurama shot up, petrified at what he was seeing. He looked around himself in alarm, eyes completely traumatized.  
  
But luckily he found something, or someone to be exact that he was familiar with. Tebiki was lying a little further, sleeping in a ball.  
  
"Tebiki!!" Kurama shouted loudly running over to the boy and shaking him awake violently.  
  
"What, who let the neko out?" The boy muttered in his sleep.  
  
"Tebiki!"  
  
"What, who, where?" Tebiki sat up quickly rubbing at his eyes tiredly.  
  
"Oh, Kurama, hey, I only closed my eyes for a second, I swear." Tebiki tried to explain.  
  
"Tebiki, what happened?!" Kurama asked desperately still shaking the boy.  
  
"Kurama, Daijoubu desu ka?" Tebiki looked at Kurama like he was acting strange.  
  
"Where is EVERYTHING?!!" Kurama shouted, gesturing his hands around.  
  
"Everything? There's been nothing to begin with." Tebiki answered giving him the same look.  
  
"Nani? What about the trees, the road and the tengu? Where did they go?"  
  
The boy just sat there with his expression the same.  
  
"You saw them right? Please tell me you saw them!" Kurama didn't understand how the kid could not be freaked out.  
  
"I saw nothing." The boy simply replied.  
  
"That's not possible. This can't be real." Kurama tried to think about what could have gone wrong.  
  
The boy stared at Kurama and a strange expression crept across his face. He softly chuckled to himself before breaking out in a hysterical fit of laughter.  
  
Kurama was beyond freaked out at this.  
  
_'Did I dream it? No, I know what I saw. Am I going insane?!_' Kurama thought anxiously throwing his hands on his head.  
  
"Calm down. You're not going insane," the boy replied to Kurama's thought as recuperated his self-control.  
  
"Pretty funny though what you just said though. I bet you would've laughed too if you knew why." The kid was smiling. What the fuck was wrong with him? Most people DO NOT go from gloomily to super happy. Maybe he was bi- polar? Kurama shook off his thoughts. He should keep talking.  
  
"Why?" Kurama asked coolly. He wasn't going to show his unease.  
  
"You said this nothingness wasn't real. I've got a question for you Kurama. Do you think that grass you caressed between your fingers was real, that sound of a babbling brook; did you think they were authentic?"  
  
"I guess... I didn't think about it, I wasn't sure."  
  
"Exactly. You didn't know. So in order to place some reason and stability, to keep your mind sane, you wanted to believe in most of what you perceived. A nice, secure, inviting forest, huh?" The boy said and rolled to his side  
  
"Then you did see it!!"  
  
"Kurama the reality is you're in someone's mind. Heeellllooo! You can't see in someone else's fucking brain." Tebiki threw his hands in the air, like it was the most apparent bit of information.  
  
"Uhh," Kurama staggered back taking this all in. He had known he was in Karasu's mind, but to think about it literally made him sick.  
  
Kurama felt himself drop to what seemed to be the 'floor' of the void. Once Kurama regained his composure, he thought how he could ask questions with the right words to fill in the blanks. When it came to being on familiar terms with this new setting, he was at a loss. Only Tebiki could help him out there.  
  
"So if I made it up in my mind, how come you were able to, you know... notice the surroundings?" Kurama finally spoke.  
  
"That wasn't your mind that did that. Do you really think your mind, no matter ningen or youkai, could alter such a great amount of space in someone else territory?"  
  
"So then you're saying..."  
  
"Yeah, that was Karasu that did that. Gotta say I like the forest and meadow. It has a nice feel to it." Tebiki stated in remembrance.  
  
"Why a forest?" _'I thought for sure it was going to be something extreme, like fire and brimstone, or something along those lines.'  
_  
"You should know. He did it for you."  
  
"Nani? For me?" _'Okay, now that scares me. Karasu have felt my presence before I got here.'_  
  
"Hai, you. Plants are your security, are they not? Karasu made it like this to allow you to have something to alleviate your mind. If he didn't you probably would've ended up going insane, like I did."  
  
"You went insane?"  
  
"For a bit, yeah. I'm a human; I'm not use to this sort of creepy stuff." Tebiki paused then took a deep breath, like he was going to get something off his chest. "I was all alone in a place I could not escape.  
  
Made me understand what patients in an asylum feel like." Kurama was a taken back at this. He never thought about what it would be like for a human boy.  
  
"A living nightmare when your own mind is your worst enemy." There as silence from the boy.  
  
Kurama's face softened. He looked upon Tebiki with a sympathy he had not felt for an individual in a long time.  
  
"I truly am sorry for what you have endured." Kurama bowed his head in acknowledgment.  
  
Seeing that Kurama was feeling miserable over him, he bounced up off the floor. "Aww, it all good, just in the past!" Tebiki recovered with a smile, giving Kurama a reassuring thumb up.  
  
"Anyway I glad I just have someone to talk to." Tebiki said on a mellower note. "Sorry about the tearjerker. Let's get back on subject." Kurama nodded his head agreeing.  
  
"Karasu. He does know I'm here, for lack of better words." Kurama asked and stated solemnly at the same time.  
  
"Yep."  
  
"One question." That was a lie. Kurama still had an abundance of questions to ask. But he had to take them one step at a time.  
  
"How do you know of my affiliation with plants?"  
  
"Cause I've heard some of his thoughts before. Mostly 'bout you."  
  
"Great," Kurama laughed nervously. _'Not exactly what I wanted to hear.'  
_  
"So if he made the forest and scenery to keep me sane, why did it disappear?" Kurama inquired, puzzled.  
  
"It always does that." Tebiki replied flatly.  
  
"Hmm?" Kurama tilted his head in curiosity.  
  
"Ya see, well, Karasu's mind as you've may have noticed isn't the sturdiest thing." Kurama without doubt could agree with that fact.  
  
"He also is partly mad. And after a while the images he sends here start to jumble and everything distorts. It takes a rebuilding process after a while to stabilize things again."  
  
That information got full hold of Kurama attention. _'So Karasu has difficulty controlling everything in his own mind. But that might change soon. Koenma said his power increasing rapidly.'  
_  
"The only thing that remains constant at all times is his nucleus, the sanest portion of his mind." Tebiki added in.  
  
"What's that?"  
  
"Can you make out down there, that dark mass?" Tebiki pointed his finger outwards towards a distant silhouette.  
  
"The fortress!!" Kurama remembered the site. It was a place he hoped he would never have to enter.  
  
"Yep. It's always there. And his servants, like the tengu, are always there."  
  
"So they are a threat to me, Karasu wasn't just creating them up to shake me up." Kurama thought on this. _'Glad to grasp the fact when I was running for my life, I was really running for my life.'  
_  
"Bingo. Still a threat." Tebiki made a disgusted face at mentioning them.  
  
"But if they're constant, can't they just simply find us when we are in the open like this?" Kurama inquired waving his arms about at the barrenness around them.  
  
"Nope, they can't detect us. Neither can Karasu himself. We have become part of the nothingness." Kurama must have shown some sign of confusion on his face, because Tebiki went into further explaining.  
  
"Look, Karasu's gotta focus his mind on rejuvenation, he can't separate us from the void without making the space functional again. Get it?"  
  
_'So Karasu cannot discover me when his mind is in this state. That might prove useful in the future.'_ Kurama made a mental note that hopefully would give him an advantage.  
  
"How long is his mind like this?" Kurama asked, determined to know as much as possible about this issue.  
  
"Don't ask me. You'll find out soon enough"  
  
Kurama looked around him. Little tuffs of jade grass tore vertically. Around him colors churned gradually, forming the scenery he had memorized.  
  
"Does that answer your question?" Tebiki questioned with a smirk on his face. He liked understanding things the demon did not.  
  
Kurama was relieved to find the woods returning. Karasu and Tebiki were right. Damn, he loved the forest.  
  
Kurama lowered his head down. It felt good to smell soil. Even if it wasn't real. He'd take it instead of a white void anyday.  
  
"Uhh, Kurama I really hate to burst your happy bubble, but we've got ourselves a problem."

* * *

Yeah. I know. Cliffy. You know compared to Kurama's problems though, a cliffy isn't all that bad. I mean the poor guy is getting way more than he expected. I know shut up. That doesn't change the fact I made a cliffy. But when you get mad think of Kurama. That guy's a real trooper, he is. Okay, well have a jolly day, or night! Or both! The choice is yours! 


	4. Reflect through open eyes

Welcome ladies and gents and if you happen to be an animal, vegetable, or mineral welcome too! I have written the 4th chappie! It's a long one! If you guys happen to see one of my ( ), that means I'm translating a Japanese word into English. Here's a quote and then fic time! "_The best way to make your dreams come true is to wake up."_ -Paul Valery Yes, yes!! And that's exactly what Karasu's trying to do! I wonder if he read my story. I bet he did. 

* * *

"Uhh, Kurama I really hate to burst your happy bubble, but we've got ourselves a problem." Tebiki exclaimed, crouched, peering through boughs of a shrub.  
  
"Huh?" Kurama inquired as he lifted his head up gently, to face Tebiki.  
  
"I think you should come take a look at this."  
  
Kurama pushed off ground and stretched upward on to his feet. Without a sound, he slinked up behind the surveying boy, exploring with his own gleaming green eyes for anything of suspicious nature.  
  
"Kurama-kun, get up already," Tebiki ordered weary of repeating himself as he spun around.  
  
"WHHAAA!" Tebiki yelled as he found Kurama was only a couple inches from his face. Unfortunately this caused his to step back on a deracinated root, and trip that sent him plummeting to the ground.  
  
Kurama blinked in surprise. Did he do something wrong?  
  
"Itai,"(ouch) Tebiki moaned, pulling himself. Kurama offered his hand out to pull the boy up.  
  
"Arigatou," Tebiki thanked, brushing off dirt off his backside. "And don't EVER do that again. What are you, some kind of neko?" Tebiki joked, as he could not explain how the other had moved so silently and fleetingly.  
  
"No, a kitsune." Kurama replied informatorily, correcting the boy.  
  
"Oh, right a youkai, I almost forgot." Tebiki laughed, scratching his head.  
  
"What was it that had you concerned?" Kurama asked, getting back to subject.  
  
"Oh yeah, this." Tebiki indicated to a rouge-stained monument beyond the shrubbery. Kurama was surprised to have overlooked something that erected so vividly against the greenery.  
  
The two of them carefully shifted the branches out of their way, drifting over to take closer inspection.  
  
"I've surveyed this clearing a couple times, and I've never seen this before," The boy informed, apprehensively as if anticipating something to pop out. "It must have materialized not that long ago."  
  
"My, I never would have expected a touba here." Kurama stated to himself walking around the miniature tower.  
  
"A whatie?" Tebiki popped his head from the other side of it.  
  
"It's a pagoda, a spiritual piece of architecture that came from China to Japan in the late 6th century along with Buddhism." Kurama enlightened to Tebiki off the top of his head.  
  
"What the fuck do you have in that brain of yours? A textbook?" Tebiki stared at Kurama in awe.  
  
"Oh come on, I thought it was common knowledge," Kurama dismissing the statement innocently.  
  
Tebiki stepped back away from Kurama. The guy was so astute, it was scary. He shrugged the thought off.  
  
"Anyway, what's something like that doing here? I didn't think Karasu was the religious type."  
  
"I don't believe its purpose here is the identical to reality's." Kurama concurred, deep in thought.  
  
"Whatever it's used for, it most likely isn't good." Tebiki said to himself, prodding the monument as if it was contaminated.  
  
"Yamete!! Don't touch it!" Kurama shouted heatedly, yanking Tebiki's hand from the tower.  
  
"Ahh! I'm sorry!!" Tebiki jumped back at Kurama's annoyance. Kurama gasped at how violent he must have reacted.  
  
"Oh, Tebiki-kun, gomen nasai. I didn't mean to scare you. I just reacted on impulse." Kurama informed in a gentle tone.  
  
"You see, because we don't know what its purpose is, and you yourself pointed out it's new, it would be best not to do anything with it. Besides for all we know it could trigger itself or something else on contact," Kurama said, clarifying further into detail.  
  
"I suppose you're right. Demo... nothing is happening, so I think it's pretty much harmless. Then again, it is kinda bizarre out here in the forest and all; maybe we should leave this spot. I mean I've kinda gotten used to this niche of the woods, but I guess it's not worth taking a risk if something weird is going on." Tebiki rambled, talking to himself again. (I'm not sure Tebiki's got his sanity completely back, either that or he just likes to go off in his own world, in which there is nothing wrong with that!)  
  
Kurama was obviously not listening. In fact, something else was very much captivating his attention. It was a carved eye stenciled in one of the faces of the pagoda. One thing that puzzled Kurama was why the eye was shut. Most normal pagodas he had seen with an eye painted on it was open. It was most intriguing. Kurama knew he had just told Tebiki not to touch it, but a strange sensation was overtaking him. It was almost as if it was calling to him, a siren's song.  
  
_'Get grip on yourself, what the hell are you thinking? Besides, you know curiosity killed the cat.'_ Kurama thought shaking his head.  
  
_'Ah, but you're not a cat, you're a fox, so there is nothing to worry about, ne?'_ an eerie voice whispered to him deep in the back of his mind.  
  
Kurama's eyes clouded at the soothing voice as he slipped further and further into the impulse of the eye. With his willpower thinning, Kurama involuntarily brushed his fingertips upon its surface. That was exactly what it sought after. The eye snapped open.  
  
Kurama would have been a taken back at this if he weren't lost in the rhythmic beat the eye was binding his psyche with. The kitsune slipped in a heavy daze, dropping to his knees, his breath coming out in shallow pants.  
  
Meanwhile, Tebiki was still conversing to the air a few meters away, completely unaware of Kurama's state.  
  
"Kurama, since I know this place much better than you do, I've taken upon myself to make the decision that we should move. Besides, we're not in the safest spot to begin with, Karasu's shiro (castle) is not too far away."  
  
"Do you agree?"  
  
When Tebiki got no response, it was finally then he turned around. He was surprised to see Kurama was still staring at the monument.  
  
"Aw, come on Sherlock Holmes, I think this case is closed. The pagoda isn't going to do a damn thing."  
  
Kurama sat motionless, unconscious of the boy or the world around him.  
  
"Kurama, enough already, let's go!' Tebiki yelled irritably, his hands on his hips. Kurama still remained stationary.  
  
"Kurama-kun?' Tebiki whispered in a frightened voice in realization something was wrong. "Daijoubu desu ka?" Tebiki advanced towards Kurama, and when he set his foot down, a perplexing incident occurred.  
  
The ground shook in a low rumble. Tebiki checked his foot, nothing was wrong, so he took another step. The same thing happened, this time a stronger quake. Tebiki froze instantly. He was not sure what was going on. Perhaps Karasu's world was altering again. But that was impossible; it had just materialized not long ago.  
  
The forest floor shuddered once again, and Tebiki had never moved an inch. That's when the ningen boy began to panic. He whipped his head to discover that beyond a few trees and other undergrowth, low and behold, something was headed straight for them.  
  
Tebiki shot in the blink of an eye towards the immobile fox. He spun Kurama around and grabbed Kurama by the shoulders shaking him senseless.  
  
"Kurama-kun, I need you to wake up! Seriously! I'm not joking, we need to go now!!"  
  
Tebiki glanced back behind his shoulder. The bulky creature was now picking up into a sprint. Tebiki had had enough. Kurama was going to get up whether he wanted to or not.  
  
"IMA, KURAMA!!!" (Now!!) Tebiki yelled, slapping Kurama hard on the face.  
  
That did it.  
  
Kurama, instantly placed a hand to the reddened cheek, blinking at the sudden rouse of his senses.  
  
"Tebiki-kun, why did you do...  
  
"Less talking, more running!!" Tebiki shouted, grabbing Kurama around the arm and jerking him up. The young man sprinted off madly like a rocket; fear was his fuel, and tightened his grip on Kurama arm to make sure he wouldn't go flying off. Kurama tried frantically to have his feet keep up with the erratic ones dragging him.  
  
Kurama didn't even have a hell a clue why they were running. Tossing a glance back, he found the cause. It was an ogrish youkai with one distinct feature; it possessed one large eye in the middle of its face. It was raging after them for what purpose Kurama could only guess. Actually, one- eye sounded vaguely familiar to Kurama. He tried to remember what happened.  
  
And then it hit him. The carving. He touched it, why for the love of kami- sama, did he have to be so dense and touch it? Although, he had to admit, whatever had been enchanting him back there was so persuasive, even Kurama himself could not resist.  
  
But that excuse would not rescue him, only his trusty feet could save him now.  
  
Between flitting around obstacles in their way, ducking low hanging branches, and leaping over undergrowth, running wasn't that hard. It was everything else that was a difficulty. And if their luck hadn't been bad enough, the goblin giant was preparing to add to that list.  
  
The huge creature slowed its pace to a completely stop, before bended its knees and preparing to catapult itself. It swung its extended arms and lunged forward, hurling itself directly in front of the two.  
  
Kurama and Tebiki froze before the cyclops as it stretched itself to its full height. Looming over them, its large eye ignored Tebiki, and focused directly on Kurama. An over-sized hand advanced as it reached out for the terrified fox.  
  
But Kurama was not willing to throw in the towel just yet. The fox knew that fighting was useless; he had little influence here. But maybe he could make do with an ordinary plant. In one swift leap and a little effort, Kurama managed to rip off a vine from the ancient tree beside them. He had a plan. He just hoped it would not fail him.  
  
The youko swung the protracted vine and lassoed it around the oni's legs, pulling tight. Then he pushed Tebiki away as he attempted to slid beneath the monster, pulling the vine with him. It had done what he had intended. The large youkai's twisted around as he was sent falling, tumbling. Regrettably, as the oni did this, he grasped Kurama by the ankles sending Kurama and itself plummeting down the grass-strewn hill.  
  
When Kurama's in motion act took an end, he realized he was lying on top of the youkai. Kurama scrambled to get off the creature, fearing it would seize him at any time. But Kurama noticed the goblin was not moving; it was knocked out cold. 'It must have went head first during the plunge, and broke my fall.' Kurama's thoughts were broken as he noticed sparks fly from his right wrist.  
  
It was hot metal burning at his skin. Kurama quickly lifted up his sleeve and discarded the broken arm brace.  
  
_'The arm brace!!'_ Kurama had completely forgotten about it. It hadn't even been used once and Kurama had already trashed it. Kurama sighed as he reached to retrieve the ruined wrist brace, but unfortunately he was greeted with a shock.  
  
Kurama jerked back at the sudden sensation, stroking his singed hand. The armlet was beyond repair, Kurama decided, if in fact he could even repair something like that here._ 'I don't suppose Karasu happened to conveniently build a mechanic shop around here.'_ Kurama said sarcastically to himself, but it was more bitter than as a joke. Kurama wished dearly that he had paid more attention to it.  
  
"Hey, Kurama-kun! Daijoubu desu ka? Nothing broken I hope?" Tebiki shouted on cue, sliding down the hill, in the direction of Kurama.  
  
Kurama looked at the damaged brace next to him and sighed. He kicked it off into a patch of tall grass; little sparks were flying all over. Kurama never really had a reason to tell Tebiki of his mission in the first place, so there was no need to start explaining now.  
  
"Daijoubu desu," the kitsune replied as walking over to the boy.  
  
"That's good, cause if something happened, I wouldn't know what to do. I'm medically challenged." Tebiki gave a grin in relief.  
  
"Hai, I was lucky to have my fall break. "Unfortunately for this one," Kurama said tossing a glance at the cataleptic beast, "he took it head first."  
  
"Well, perhaps we shouldn't give it a head start after us. Who knows when it could wake up." Tebiki exclaimed, contorting his face in a sickened form.  
  
"Let's not give it a chance to then." Kurama retorted motioning his head in the opposite direction.  
  
The onyx haired boy nodded, and they both progressed away from the oni.  
  
"Kurama-kun, I'm really sorry about that back there." Tebiki spoke, as they were a good 20 meters away from the site.  
  
"About what?" Kurama questioned, shifting his eyes at the other.  
  
"I touched that thing back there. I probably set the oni off," Tebiki lowered his head shame.  
  
"Uhh," Kurama stuttered guilty. Damn. He would have to tell him the truth.  
  
"I hope you can forgive me. Hey I know let's call it a truce! I helped you escape from the tengu, and you kicked that other youkai ass. Deal?" Tebiki asked, perking up.  
  
"Well, you see... Kurama started.  
  
"You can't forgive me, I understand. I did a stupid thing."  
  
"Iie, it's not at all like that," Kurama tried to get out.  
  
"Then we have a deal?"  
  
Kurama looked at Tebiki who was pleading with his eyes for Kurama to say the words.  
  
"Fine, Tebiki. Deal." Kurama sighed, still feeling he was the one accountable.  
  
"Cool. Glad we got that straightened out." Tebiki beamed happily at Kurama. The fox threw back a fake smile.  
  
After approximately 15 minutes, or what it seemed to Kurama, the two noticed a sudden change in environment. Everything around him seemed aged and deteriorating. The vines draped over the sunken trees had no life in them. Not to mention biggest of all the alterations was that day was transforming to night.  
  
The floor beneath them was softening too. They were now treading their way through mud, not dirt. And to make things more eerie, a slow fog was rolling at their feet.  
  
"Tebiki-kun, have you seen this before?" Kurama asked, worried.  
  
"Iie, I've never ventured in this direction since it became a forest. I'm not really sure where we are, but if I'm correct, I'd say we are on the other side of Karasu's shiro." Tebiki judged from the look of things.  
  
"The other side? But we haven't been traveling for that long." Kurama replied shocked.  
  
"Time is different here." Tebiki stopped to take a better look around.  
  
"Tebiki, maybe we shouldn't stop. This fog is getting heavier." The kitsune suggested, taking a look around for himself.  
  
"Uhh, Kurama, I think you're right." Tebiki replied in a constricted voice. He had his eyes fixated on something, but with the fog, Kurama could not make it out.  
  
Then in a small glimpse of clear air he saw what Tebiki was speaking of.  
  
It was the shiro. They happened to be in the vicinity of it. Kurama's eyes widened at this spectacle. They were in the same darkness Kurama had seen earlier.  
  
"We should turn back." Kurama stated seriously.  
  
"I agree." Tebiki taking a step back. But the mud was so soggy that it caused Tebiki's leg to slide into the mud.  
  
"Shimatta. Kurama-kun, can you help me?" Tebiki asked exasperated, pulling at his leg.  
  
"Hai." The two of them struggled to get the captivated leg out of the muddy prison. Finally with a few strong pulls, the mud relented. But during this time, the fog had increased so much so that they could only see a couple feet in front of them.  
  
"So which way is back?" Tebiki inquired, looking around, totally lost.  
  
"Whichever way we can go, I suppose." Kurama answered just as lost.  
  
They carefully treading through the dead woods, and soon they encountered a mildly unpleasant smell.  
  
"What is that smell?" Tebiki said lifting his hand to his nose in distaste.  
  
Kurama sniffed the air. "It's a bog." Kurama replied, cringing a bit. This was one of those times in which his canine sensory ability was both a gift and a curse.  
  
In a clearing, they stumbled upon the numa,(swamp) it was thick like tar. Wandering over to get a better inspection of the thing, Kurama noticed there were things moving in it.  
  
"What are those things?" Kurama questioned no one in particular and toke a step back.  
  
"Hmm, look like memories to me." Tebiki deduced with his hand on his chin.  
  
"Memories? Those things are memories?" Kurama looked back at the swirling matter in the swamp.  
  
"Yeah, I think so. I don't know if I'm right, but for some reason I have a vague feeling that's what they are." Tebiki repeated.  
  
Kurama took a step closer, leaning over the edge of the water. He could, oddly enough, see his own reflection in the water. His skin was glowing, a luminescent light coming from the deep foundation of the water. Nearby to his reflection was one of the swirls of dark matter.  
  
"Hey Kurama-kun, be careful with those things. Don't go swimming in it or anything." Tebiki warned throwing his hands on his head and walking away.  
  
"Thank you for the precaution, but I am not that dim." Kurama said without looking back at him.  
  
"Until this fog clears, I'm gonna rest a bit, kay? You should do the same." Tebiki said, settling himself on the wet ground, closing his eyes.  
  
Kurama ignored the boy and wondered what Karasu's past had been like. Was he always such a sadist? Now that he thought about it, Karasu must have had some tragedy to cause him to grow into the demon he became today. 'Or maybe he's was always evil.' Probably that. Kurama wasn't just about to feel pity for his most feared adversary yet.  
  
Kurama attention was directed, however, at the memory, which was growing larger.  
  
'_Maybe Karasu's added to it._' Kurama concluded. But that was not the case.  
  
The matter was indeed growing larger, but was sucking in too fast. Kurama felt the force from the small cyclone drawling him in. The youko closed his eyes, knowing that he could not escape from the force that already had hold of him.  
  
Kurama allowed himself to collapse, expecting to plunge into icy water, but was met with a surprise.  
  
He felt instantly cold, ice blowing on top of him. Kurama opened his eyes to a find he was in a pined forest thick with snow. There was a light coming from his left.  
  
Kurama squinted and focused his eyes on a small cabin. It was a dank little thing, but on impulse, he decided to proceed in that direction.  
  
The fox sniffed the air. It was very familiar. The blood soaked wind of the Makai. That clarified that this was a memory. Karasu was a demon, so the Makai was surely where he was born.  
  
Something stirred in Kurama's ears. It was the sound of a demon. Or to be more precise, a thought. The door of the cabin slammed open  
  
'_That's some bad weather out. If it gets any worse, this whole place will freeze over.'_ The thought paused. _'Maybe it's an army of Yuki onna. Then again I don't think I would mind some pleasurable company from a couple of those ladies.'_ The thought chuckled to itself.  
  
Kurama came closer to find the owner. It was a large youkai, old and crippled too, with an arm missing and a peg replacing his right leg. He stood there defiantly, and would have been imposing, if he were a few hundred years younger.  
  
The demon's attention and Kurama's as well was thrown at a loud bang from the other side of the woods. Kurama peered into the darkness, trying to find the source. The large demon snatched from his side a crossbow and loaded it, preparing to aim at whatever came his way.  
  
"Who's out there? I'm warning you, I don't like trespassers!" The demon shouted to the forest.  
  
"Come out already! Or else I will hunt you down myself! The demon added. Kurama doubted that the guy could go after anyone with his false leg in this thick snow, but it's not like he could do anything anyway.  
  
Kurama eye's flitted when he sensed movement from behind the trees.  
  
A dark figure stepped into the streaming light of the cabin. What, or who to be more precise was revealed was not what the demon predicted. It was a boy, attractive, with waist hugged locks, black as a crow.  
  
He was remained standing, tolerating the snow and wind beating upon him. The elder demon sighed with relief and lowered his bow.  
  
"Hello out there," the demon yelled from on the porch, "are you lost, boy?"  
  
The boy did not move.  
  
"Well, why don't you at least come in where it's warm; you'll die in a storm like this." The youkai with the wooden leg beckoned.  
  
The young youkai hesitated, before finally deciding to accept the offer.  
  
The rush of heat overwhelmed Kurama as he stepped in to the inviting house with the young man. If this was a memory, it was a pretty damn realistic one.  
  
The old demon wobbled to his left reaching up for a towel to give to the teen. The boy, who was without a doubt Karasu, declined the offer of the towel.  
  
"Suit yourself." The youkai said brusquely, putting it back.  
  
"So, young one, what is a shonen at your age doing out in the woods in the middle of a blizzard?" The large demon inquired gruffly, walking into the middle of the room.  
  
"I am a wanderer," the boy answered, shaking off the snow from his long jet- black mane.  
  
"Kawaii. But seriously kid, why are you out all the way here? Where are your parents? You're Okaa-san must be worried sick about you."  
  
"My mother died when I was born." The boy said in a lifeless tone.  
  
"Zannen desu ne." (How unfortunate) "What about your Otou-san?" the youkai asked and toke a seat in a large armchair in the middle of the room.  
  
"Malignant cells took him, a cancer that rotted his flesh and devoured his mind."  
  
"Both parents gone? How sad. I sympathize for you." The demon continued.  
  
"And such a horrible way to meet one's end. And truly a painful experience for an innocent like you." Karasu's eyes flickered a tint of crimson at the word innocent, a color exceedingly skewed against his almond-shaped amethyst eyes.  
  
The elderly male presented the boy a stool, in which Karasu took up his offer and sat down.  
  
"Yes, I agree. No one should have to meet their demise in such a manner." The shonen continued.  
  
The aged demon nodded in accord.  
  
"But it is the fellow loved ones who suffer the most." The young man's eyes narrowed as he spoke his words.  
  
"Absolutely. You are exceptionally bright. Still in youth and you already see the reality of life and it's end."  
  
"I myself am plagued with a dilemma concerning my end. I know we just meet and all but I fancy telling someone at least about my story. After all, I am very old. Don't know when I'm gonna kick the bucket." He explained, and Karasu made no motion for him to stop.  
  
"You see, for five hundred years I was a great warrior, before you're parents were probably even born. Prized and adored I was. People adored me. My men respected me. Children wanted to become me."  
  
"Sounds proper if you were as renowned a fighter as you claimed to be." Karasu replied coolly, too much in fact to considered normal.  
  
"It was wonderful. I couldn't ask for a better life. But as all do all things in life, mine also went downhill." The demon sighed at remembrance to how he came to be as he was now.  
  
"Lost my life I did, when I lost my right leg and arm in combat due to my body weakening after years of fighting. After that I was no use in battle, and had no authority to give commands; younger and stronger demons toke up the seats of power in the group."  
  
"So I was nothing more than a nuisance, in our world the fit and youthful live in glory, and the old just linger on pathetically."  
  
The ancient demon realized his story was prattling on, and abruptly stopped.  
  
But it seemed the younger demon didn't mind. In fact, he appeared to be absorbed in the story.  
  
"Sorry about that. Just a little over enthusiastic about sharing my story. I guess I best be getting to bed."  
  
The elderly being lifted himself slowly from his sunken armchair. Karasu, however, sat motionless.  
  
"You should get some sleep too, boy. You can take shelter here for tonight on a couch in the corner. Just until the storm passes, then you can go on with your wandering."  
  
"Sleep? No, I don't intend to sleep for a while."  
  
"Come on kid, it's time." The old man pleaded wearily.  
  
"Yes," Karasu paused, "I believe it is time." The boy spoke icily and in a very eerie smooth voice.  
  
The flames of the demon's lanterns flickered once, then in one swift gust, an undetectable wind within the cabin, they went out feebly.  
  
"What the hell? I thought I closed all the windows." The old demon spoke from under the darkness.  
  
"You did. Good thing, too. The explosion won't work nearly as well with interference from the storm." The younger demon's voice replied.  
  
Kurama knew what was going to happen. He braced himself.  
  
"Explosion? What are you talking-  
  
The old demon was interrupted by an eruption of dynamite. The blast carried throughout the building annihilating almost everything it came in contact with. The clearing of forest in which the house once stood in the dark, now lit up in a blaze.  
  
Kurama checked himself apprehensively, but he was thankfully undamaged.  
  
The snow pounded on the flames, dampening the inferno, but the damage was already done.  
  
The boy looked upon his fallen victim without a trace of emotion. That changed though, when he saw the mutilated figure lying on the burnt floor, move.  
  
The demon used the last of his willpower to lift his head and gaze at the other demon.  
  
The boy was surprised to see that the other still had life in him. But that was quickly deteriorating.  
  
"Why, why did you kill me?" The old demon managed to get out angrily before collapsing in ruin.  
  
"I don't know why you are so irritable about it. I gave you a justly fit end free of charge." Karasu replied indifferently.  
  
"An assassination on a mighty hero, the details shrouded in mystery. Finally, you can breathe your last, and reclaim your fame. That what you wanted, no?"  
  
Karasu asked to a corpse that laid there, motion stimulated as result of snow beat against it.  
  
"Think of it as a thank you for your hospitality. Oyasuminasai." (Have a good rest) Karasu uttered softly, a mere murmur in opposition to the howling of the blizzard.  
  
And with that the raven-haired boy turned away, vanishing into the darkness of the night.  
  
Kurama watched him disappear; he received a renewed taste of why he feared Karasu so much.  
  
Karasu was indeed a true killer.  
  
Kurama suddenly felt his knees weaken. His strength was vanishing and the world around him, blurring.  
  
"Kurama!!" A voice rang out of the darkness. Kurama shut his eyes tight.  
  
The kitsune felt himself being sucked down; this memory was fading into a devolvement of strewn ebony.  
  
"Kurama!! Snap out of it!!"  
  
Kurama instantly jolted backwards slamming against a tree trunk. The willowy tree moaned with the force of the attack, and weaken leaves fluttered down to the ground aimlessly.  
  
Kurama groaned in pain as he lifted himself from the base of the tree.  
  
"What hell is wrong with you?" Tebiki yelled running to help Kurama.  
  
"What are you talking about?" Kurama panted, wincing as he rubbed his back.  
  
"Sheesh, next time you go off into your own world, you could at least warn a guy!" Tebiki exclaimed angrily, waving his hands about madly.  
  
"My own world? No, but I fell into the water. Into a memory. Karasu's to be exact."  
  
"You didn't fall into the water, Kurama. You just sat there."  
  
"I didn't fall?" Kurama asked confused.  
  
"Iie, but I suppose you thought you were getting sucked into a memory. I guess they do a number on your mind if you stare for too long." Tebiki deduced.  
  
"I don't know why you'd want to stare at them though, I mean those things are really freaking looking." Tebiki glanced over at the bog, and scuttled further from it in revulsion. "But you really got into one of his memories?"  
  
"Hai. And it was one particularly unsettling. Though, I suppose most of them are that way.' Kurama shivered to himself at the thought.  
  
"Yeah, can't argue with you there. Well, as fun as this whole you freaking me out because I thought you had become a zombie experience was, I think we should ditch this Creepsville." Tebiki added in anxiously. "The fog has died."  
  
"I agree. This is not the kind of place in which we should linger. Besides someone is bound to have heard me. Let's move."  
  
"Uh huh, " Tebiki nodded as he took off behind Kurama.  
  
And they were right. As soon they had left the area it was swarming with tengu.  
  
After the two had thought they were safe, and the area was solid and dry again, they stopped and collapsed in a nook streaming with foliage.  
  
"Now that's what you call a close one," Tebiki panted, as he tried to catch his breath.  
  
"Fortune was on our sides, hopefully we are as lucky in the future." Kurama stated worn out, leaning against a tree.  
  
"Well I guess I better do routine check-up on the area before we settle down. Don't wanna run into any pagodas or something like that." Tebiki bounced up.  
  
"No, I'll take care of this one. You should get to rest some." Kurama volunteered, walking past Tebiki.  
  
"Come on, we'll do it together," Tebiki smiled.  
  
"Hai," Kurama smiled back.  
  
The two split in different directions, scouting the area for enemies. When the two came back to the center they both agreed that the place was safe for the time being.  
  
But just as they started to sit down, they heard a small rustle among the brush.  
  
"Don't worry, I'll get it." Kurama placed his hand in front of Tebiki, signaling for him to halt.  
  
"Kurama-kun, be cautious." Tebiki warned, on edge himself.  
  
Kurama stalked silently over to the spot of the noise and lowered himself to look into the large bush. He could see nothing, just branches and leaves. Kurama sighed in relief.  
  
Suddenly, a small creature came swiftly darting out of the brush that made Kurama jump back in surprise.  
  
Tebiki heard the noise and ran closer to see what was the matter.  
  
"Kurama, what happened? Did you find something?" Tebiki questioned in concern.  
  
"It's alright, Tebiki, it was just a bird." Kurama said in a calm tone as he pointed to the large bird, which was stretching its wings.  
  
Tebiki froze in horror.  
  
"Kurama, that's a crow!!!" The boy pointed to the bird in fear.  
  
"Tengu take the form of crows!!! Get the hell out of there, Kurama!!!" Tebiki yelled to Kurama, sickened at what he knew would happen.  
  
"Nani?!!" Kurama gasped, his feet paralyzed with shock. He knew even if he could turn around to see behind him, it would be one sight he desperately did not want to see.  
  
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx  
  
It's time for Cultural Enrichment with amber energy! – Oh boy! This is the part where you get to learn about stuff mentioned in the above chapter! Okay let's start with the pagoda. Known as in Japanese as a touba. Kurama explained that it came from China to Japan in the late 6th century along with Buddhism, but what is it? Well it has many different purposes like a grave marker, memorial, or larger ones, a shrine. It can be made out stone or wood, and sometimes has the all-seeing eye painted on it. (Hope I got that right) But the one in the story was a fake, the same structure, **_very_** different purpose. Okay next thing. The Cyclops. That was based on the creature called "Hitotsume Kozou." In Japanese legend, this large goblin had one eye and was bald. He wasn't all that dangerous, just frightened people. And last which most of you know is the Yuki-onna. These ice maidens are mentioned in Yu Yu Hakusho, like Yukina, Hiei's sister.

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AHHHHHH!! That was one loooonnnggg chappie! My brain hurts. But I left with a cliffie. Oh no!! I'm becoming addicted to the horrible cliffies!!! Why do I let my audience suffer so?!!! (Shrugs shoulders) Oh well. (Gets shoe thrown at head) Oww! Sheesh, aren't you people ever satisfied? That's okay I wanna see what happens next too. Because next chapter is going to be totally awesome to write! You wanna know why? (drum roll) **Because our favorite antagonist is probably going to make his debut next chapter!! **Yay! So just you wait cause it sure to be a blast! (Hahahaha, get it blast, Karasu, he make bombs, and yeah... shutting up now.) So write lots of reviews! Even if you already did, do it again, and maybe once more, and then again, and again cause if I go into review withdrawal it will not be pretty. Cheer-o! 


	5. The man I never killed

Hey everyone! Yay! Another chappie! I'm so excited! I want to give a big thanks to everyone who reviewed. Without you, I probably would have not posted it for everyone to see. And that's not good at all, because people need to know what's going on inside Karasu's mind! So keep on doing what you do best! I have some responses to people who reviewed!  
  
This story will contain shounen ai. But it is a bit more complicated than that. 'Cause it is a one-shot feeling right now and also layers upon layers of over emotions. Confusion, uncertainty, and longing. To say KxK just wouldn't do it justice.  
  
Okay next one. Kuruna Icefire. You are very clever. That's all I'm going to say.  
  
And now I'm just going to say a little something about the title of this chapter. It takes both points of views. Kurama and Karasu fought one another in what was a death match, but never managed to kill each other.  
  
That's it for now! Instead of my usual quote I have something else for you. Before I give ya the response to my last cliffie, I'm gonna stall...er... I mean give you guys a look by on chappie 4 to refresh your memory! It was a long chappie after all! So here it is! (Amber energy is not responsible for any bashing of characters) (Poorly drawn characters come up into view)  
  
Reenactment of Chappie 4:  
  
Tebiki: Oh, look at this! There is something new! I don't know what it is but I'm gonna touch it anyway! Kurama: No! You mustn't! Get awa...Ooo look at the pretty eye. (Eyes become round and large.) Oni: who rubbed my lamp, er pagoda? Kurama and Tebiki: Oh no, monster! Run! Oni: Hey, come on I'm just here to grant a wish... and please don't name call, I'm sensitive. (Kurama and Tebiki running in opposite direction)  
  
Oni: come on you guys, I'm gonna miss my favorite T.V. show! Let's get this wishing over with! Kurama: I'll stop him cause I'm the protagonist of the story and it's what I was meant to do!  
  
Oni: Man, I hate tourists. (Kurama sticks out foot and oni falls)  
  
Tebiki: Yay! You saved the day! Kurama: I know, but now I need to use the bathroom. Tebiki: Hey let's walk a wicked long way and accidentally be right by the castle! Kurama: Great! I wonder if Karasu has a toilet there.  
  
(Enter crappy fog machine, sputtering out a couple puffs.) Kurama: Oh no! I'm blind! Yomi, I'm so sorry! All these years, this is what it's like!  
  
(Looks around) Kurama: Hey, I'm not blind! But I kinda wish I was now. Some people went to the bathroom in this swamp. (Cringes as he sees swirling matter) Tebiki: That must explain why it smells so bad. Kurama: But I still gotta go potty. Maybe if no one's looking...  
  
Hey where am I? (Sees cabin) Kurama: Oh boy, it probably has a toilet! (Chibi Karasu comes in to view) Grr. I am poorly drawn, but still lethal! Ha! (Old demon comes up) I hear a voice. Ooo, maybe it's room service.  
  
(Knock on door) Old demon: Who is it? Chibi Karasu: Candygram. Old demon: Candygram? Oh boy, I hope it's taffy. (Instead Chibi Karasu walks into house) Ha! Foolish old man! You should have never let me in! Now I'll huff and I'll puff and I'll blow your house down. (Killing you in the process) Ha! Hahahaha!  
  
Boom.  
  
Kurama: Noo! That was my only chance to use the bathroom! Why are you so cruel Karasu? (Chibi Karasu sees Kurama) Chibi Karasu: Itooshi! Kurama: Wait, you're not supposed to meet me for another couple hundred years! (Glomps onto Kurama's leg)  
  
Chibi Karasu: Mine.  
  
Kurama: This relationship is suffocating me.  
  
Tebiki: Kurama wake up, you're dreaming! (Kurama comes back to his senses) Kurama: It was horrible! There was a toilet right in front of me, and I when I got there it blew up! Must be the fumes from the polluted bog that messed with my mind. Let's ditch this place.  
  
Tebiki: Oh my, this place looks good to settle down. Kurama: Hey a birdie! Oh boy, dinner! Tebiki: Kurama you can't eat that, it's high in carbs! Carbs are the enemy! Besides, don't you still have to use the toilet? Kurama: You're right! Oh no, what am I to do?  
  
(What will happen next? Will Kurama ever find a bathroom? Dun dun duh!!!!!!)  
  
Okay, so maybe that wasn't exactly what happened, but it was fun to write. I mean this story is in the angst section, and it will get more angsty, but I gotta have some humor in the chapter! Even Shakespeare had humor in his tragedies! So that's it, now comes the real story full of pain and suffering! Yay!!

* * *

"Nani?!"  
  
Kurama froze.  
  
_'What am I to do now? Okay, think Kurama, what's the best thing to do in the presence of a dangerous beast?'  
_  
_'Face the creature and back away slowly.'_ Kurama answered to himself in a practical sense.  
  
_'But this thing has a brain and is hunting for me.'_ Another thought spoke in addition. _'And back in the Makai, I would have shredded it to pieces with my whip. Fortunate enough for me, I don't have that option.'_ Kurama added in sarcasm.  
  
_'Okay, then slow and steady it is.'_ Kurama finally settled on.  
  
Kurama rotated slowly clockwise, letting his long scarlet mane glide over his left shoulder, as he prepared to confront the tengu.  
  
Kurama's sleek emerald eyes met with tiny ruby ones.  
  
The crow tilted its head slightly, blinking at Kurama. The fox knew if he could just take a few steps back, maybe he could then make a mad dash away from the tengu. It was all he could do.  
  
Gradually lifting his foot, he placed it behind the other softly. Then another one. It was working. The crow was not reacting to Kurama's sloth movements.  
  
Tebiki was watching from behind. He wasn't sure why Kurama's plan was working. The tengu should have at once gone for Kurama. Perhaps it really was just a crow. But even still, crows were still spies. He thought he should brace himself to flee with Kurama.  
  
The raven-haired boy's sneaker toke a step forward to stance himself, regrettably in doing so he trampled a fallen twig, snapping it in half.  
  
The loud interruption in the mist of the silence caused Kurama whipped his head around. He prayed that it wasn't something else. When he saw that it had just been Tebiki he sighed in relief, but that same relief was quickly disrupted.  
  
The crow in front of them began a shrill caw, penetrating through the stillness of the forest. Whether it was the clamor from Tebiki or the quick movement he had just made that caused the crow to respond, he didn't care.  
  
All he knew was that he had to get the hell out of there and fast.  
  
Meanwhile, Tebiki observed on in horror that behind Kurama, a new crow had just swooped in, landing right behind Kurama, and rapidly changing its form into the large creature they had both become accustomed to.  
  
Tebiki did not even have to warn Kurama; he already knew by the look on Tebiki's face. Kurama mouthed the word run, before attempting to take off. But he was, unfortunately, encumbered by an extraordinarily heavy foot bearing down on his spine.  
  
Kurama grimaced in pain as sharp talons dug into his back.  
  
Twisting under the weight, Kurama had been too busy to notice that surrounding him were more tengu flying to the crow's call. In less than 15 seconds, the area was teeming with at least a dozen tengu.  
  
Tebiki knew better than to run into a murder of tengu, but Kurama was in trouble and was not going to let him be taken away if he could help it.  
  
Darting in and out between spread wings and vicious claws, Tebiki succeeded in reaching Kurama and his hostile keeper.  
  
The surrounding tengu enclosed in on the three, sealing off any gaps for a possible getaway. Tebiki scoped up in his hand a fallen bough, smacking the tengu, which held Kurama down, with all his might.  
  
The large beast screeched vociferously, fully spreading its wings and glaring with its large eyes at Tebiki with malice. The tengu glanced at another, sending it a quick mental note. The other tengu swooped up and then down in an instant on Tebiki, restraining him.  
  
Kurama felt his body jerk upwards, the tengu was preparing to lift off with him as its delivery package.  
  
"Kurama!!" Tebiki yelled, muffled by the weight of the tengu on top of him, "Catch!!" He said lastly before he threw the dead limb to Kurama. The fox caught in his left hand. He prepared to strike the tengu in order for his release, but was hindered when the tengu's right hand snatched Kurama's wrist. (Yes, tengu have hands as well as wings.)  
  
It seemed the thing did have a brain after all, and was not about to let itself be hit again. Kurama struggled restlessly against his captor, but it was no avail. The tengu hoisted into the sky, carrying off Kurama as well.  
  
The ground disappeared from Kurama's sight as he was forced into a world of cold haze. For the second time Kurama had been in Karasu's mind, Kurama sensed a strange wind. The vent of air was almost pulling the tengu into its destination; it was gliding along with no effort.  
  
Meanwhile, Kurama didn't exactly want to share the same destination the tengu had. Not that he had any say in where he wanted to be anyway. But that fact did not stop the feelings of apprehension and terror that rose in Kurama when the daylight around him became nightfall.  
  
Kurama increased his resistance, thrashing madly about. In the back of his mind he knew he really shouldn't, if the tengu was to drop him, it would be a long, long way down. But he had something more prominent on his mind. He did not ever want to see the inside of that castle, much less even see it up close. He only wished to stop the distance inclosing between the shiro and himself.  
  
The tengu, however, seemed to pay no attention to the frantic fox in its clutches. It began to gradually lower itself down, the shiro was very close by and so was Kurama's end. And that was something Kurama was not willing to accept, yet.  
  
As the beast was nearing ground level, Kurama put forth his plan into action.  
  
Kurama drove his left knee into the abdomen of the tengu as hard as he could in his position. This caused the tengu stop its plummet, and it did exactly what Kurama had hoped it would do. Caught up in its own pain, it let go of Kurama's wrist, giving Kurama a free shot at the creature with the stick in his hand.  
  
But he couldn't just hit the tengu with it. He needed to do something that would cause the tengu to drop him. And seeing how persistent Karasu's lackeys were, he would have to do some serious damage. In one great thrust, Kurama jabbed the bough straight into the beast's eye. (Oh my, how positively violent.)  
  
The large creature shot out a piercing shriek, yanking out the stick, and immediately clutching it destroyed left eye, purple blood flowing freely over its face. In this chaos, the tengu released Kurama, allowing him to fall to the ground.  
  
The fall wasn't as nearly far as he had guessed, and with absolute grace landed on the solid ground. Kurama had managed to escape the tengu, but unfortunately the tengu had dropped him behind the inside of outer curtain of Karasu's castle. Right by an immense iron rod gate, in which during the tengu's cries, had awakened many more guarding the gate.  
  
A few of them flew up to greet the wounded one, and learn what was the matter. That was Kurama's cue to run.  
  
Not having a clue where he was going, Kurama tore through the stone paved path, very much in a hurry to get out of there. He knew it had just been declared open season for hunting fox. After a while of running, he slowed down, letting all that had happened to him sink in.  
  
Tebiki was gone. Kurama hoped greatly that the boy had got away with his life. But something told him that the chances of that were very slim. Kurama looked up at the lofty stonewall. He was inside the shiro now. Maybe not the main keep, the tenshu, but he was in a part of it. He moaned to himself. After all that running and fleeing, he had ended up here. The place where Tebiki said Karasu's mind was the most dominant. The first place he saw that gave him a sinister vibe. The site where the man never killed resided. Just the thought alone was enough for shivering.  
  
Kurama gazed up then at the ominous shadow clad fortress. Hanging onto the stale air was a gloom that left one feeling or better yet, lack of feeling with a terribly emptiness and numbness. It appeared as a world distant and detached from everything suitable to sustain life. If Kurama wasn't sure he was in Karasu's mind, he'd think he'd stumbled into some kind of netherworld.  
  
Then that made Kurama think. This was the most stable part of his mind. What was the rest of it like, before he arrived? Could it have been worse than this? And if so, why wouldn't Karasu want to change it, perhaps something more animate? These questions were coursing through his mind.  
  
Kurama stared once again at the towering tenshu. Then something struck Kurama's mind that had never dared to cross it before. Underneath it all, Kurama could make out a profound sensation from Karasu's tower. After all these years of killing was a terrible loneliness. It made Kurama think maybe if he had had someone in his life to ease the pain, he wouldn't have slipped this far from sanity.  
  
Maybe if... Kurama stopped himself immediately.  
  
What was he thinking? He was going to feel sorry for the man that had wanted to kill him? The man who provoked fear in him? But he was also the man who presented an overwhelming desire to just have him by his side. Thinking about now, Kurama wondered, what was it that Karasu really wanted from him?  
  
Kurama shook off the thoughts, they were making him faint. Besides, he had to find a way to escape, and philosophizing of Karasu's desires was not going to get him anywhere.  
  
Kurama skimmed the inner lining of the stone wall, silently, with great caution not to be seen by any searching eyes. He was partly glad that it was so dark between the tenshu and the castle wall; this way could move with slight more ease.  
  
But much to Kurama's disappoint there were no side gates or backdoor exits. He could walk forever and still have gone nowhere. This place seemed to get you nowhere, but right where you started, and Kurama definitely do not want go back there. It seemed that with the tengu airborne everywhere, inspecting the walls under heavy surveillance, he had no chance of scaling the towering barriers.  
  
His only two options now were to either sit it out and wait for the tengu to lessen, or find a way into the castle, where they wouldn't be expecting him to be. Since he particularly disliked the latter's plan, he decided to stake out for a while where he was.  
  
That didn't last too long. The tengu were getting impatient, and a few of them swooped down to investigate the area between the donjon and border of the wall.  
  
_'They never stop, do they? I suppose that rules out my first plan.'_ Kurama frowned and sighed in exasperation.  
  
He would have to go with option number two. He detested having to enter the place where he knew his most prominent adversary lurked, but at least he had a better chance of giving the tengu the slip if he was indoors and out of sight.  
  
And it wasn't an easy thing to do. Karasu's inner fortress was so dense and sturdy, not even a flea could get through this barrier. It was kinda funny to think about. Here he was trying to get into the dwelling where Karasu was, probably where they tengu would take him if captured, the one place he wished to get away from, and he couldn't find a way to penetrate the unyielding thick walls.  
  
The tengu were drawing near, if he was ever going to escape them, it would have to be now. Kurama's hands smoothed over the cold stone, fumbling in the darkness for access.  
  
Nothing.  
  
Kurama looked up to the skies anxiously, half-expecting a tengu to swoop down on him any second. And that's when his attention was drawn to a beam coming from an unlatched window, high above him. He had been so engaged in searching ground level he never thought of checking above him.  
  
The timing couldn't have been more perfect. Now he just had to gain enough momentum for the bound up to the window. That was not going to particularly easy, since his hunters were closing in on him. They weren't aware of his presence yet, but if Kurama made one slight mistake, it would be all over.  
  
Cautiously, he snuck back to the castle wall, then prepared himself in a traditional runner stance, back arched, feet at ready. He had one shot, lifting up his head, he focused on his target.  
  
And in an instance, he shot like a bullet across darkened distance, leaping up to a ledge that held a crow-like gargoyle. There he froze, positioning himself to the shape of the crow statue to hide from a tengu soaring by. The tengu noticed nothing out of the ordinary, and kept on flying. Then quickly him leapt on then on top of bust, giving one last push he needed to grab the windowsill. Using his strength one last time he lifted himself vigorously into the open window. (Kurama is like a secret agent here. Except he doesn't get any cool gear to help him out. I think he deserves his own theme music.)  
  
He had made it inside. Kurama sighed in relief. _'But wait,'_ Kurama thought. He was now inside Karasu's abode. He'd have to be even more on guard in here. Things are never as simple as they seem.  
  
Kurama sighed again, this time from exhaustion. Back when he was a thief, he was accustomed to running and hiding. But this was insane. Kurama could never get a real moment's rest here. He hoped that rest of the gang would find Karasu's body soon. Living in this nightmare for too long would surely have damaging affects on his own mind. (Kurama, you have no idea.)  
  
Kurama abruptly realized he had been reflecting too much. He needed to be more careful. He could jeopardize the mission pondering on things like that too hard.  
  
Looking down at the marble hallway before him, Kurama could make out the vague light he had seen was coming from the opposite end of the hallway. If he choose to investigate it, he knew three possible things could be the outcome.  
  
One, he could find a better place to hide, two, end up getting lost, or three walk right into a mass of tengu with Karasu. Since two of the three choices were definitely not to his liking, he decided to not investigate. It was the logical thing to do, and he strongly reminded himself of what happened last time curiosity got the better of him.  
  
Kurama's mental body slid to the floor. He would stay here for as long as he could. Kurama yawned lazily after a couple of minutes of sitting blankly on the floor. Oh, kami-sama how he wanted to shut his eyes. Just a little bit of sleep would satisfy him. But he couldn't. And not to mention it didn't help that it was constantly dark there. The lull of his tired mind signaled to Kurama if he sat here doing nothing as he was doing now, he would surely fall asleep.  
  
_'I have to think of something to keep myself alert. Now think, what things would keep me awake?'_ Kurama asked himself sensibly.  
  
_Caffeine. Sugar. Homework.  
_  
_Homework?! How the hell did that get in there? No, not school. Don't think about dreary lectures and endless papers and... Don't think about it..._ That was the last thing he spoke in his mind before succumbing to his subconscious. (Now I know what you're thinking. Usually Kurama likes school and can stand being there for a long time. But on the brink of sleep, having been on the move for a long time, it's not exactly the most thrilling thing, okay? Well it never was to begin with, but you get the point.)  
  
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Lifting his head off what was a desk, Kurama took a quick glance around with half closed eyes. He was back at his school. This new information awakened the fox completely; he rubbed at his eyes to make sure what he saw was really there. It was mathematics class and everyone else appeared to be busily working at their own desks. "Hey, Shuichi-kun, are you awake?" A boy on his left whispered, tapping his shoulder.  
  
"Nani? What's going on?" Kurama asked glancing again around.  
  
"You fell asleep, duh. You'd better hurry too; time's almost up to finish the test."  
  
"Mr. Takahashi, this is a test. No talking." The gruff teacher reprimanded.  
  
"Hai, sir." The boy returned his attention to his own test.  
  
_'School? I'm in school? Then I must have dreamed the whole thing. I never went into Karasu's mind.' _That struck a cord in Kurama's mind. _'I never went into his mind. I'm free.'_ Kurama thought happily in realization. _'But what if this is the dream? I must have fallen asleep. That means... Oh no. I hope dearly that this is not the dream.'_ Kurama thought in distress.  
  
Was it for real? He had to find the rest of the Reikai Tantei to make sure.  
  
"Sensei, may I be excused to go to the nurse? I'm not feeling well." Kurama heard himself say.  
  
"Why, Mr. Minamino, you're feeling ill, are you? I don't want my star pupil to become more unwell on my account. You are excused."  
  
"Domo Arigatou, sensei." Kurama bowed, and headed for the door.  
  
Kurama had no intention of going to the nurse's office. Although on normal accounts he would never skip school, he had to make sure he was back in the real world. That meant he would have to find Yusuke, Kuwabara, and Hiei. Though he seriously doubted they would be all together, he just needed someone who could tell him what was going on.  
  
Maybe they would all look at him like he crazy, and tell him he just had a bad dream. That was all Kurama wanted right now, for someone to confirm it was only a nightmare.  
  
Walking down the boulevard, towards Yusuke and Kuwabara's school, Kurama noticed a familiar loud voice coming from his right. It was coming from the park where he and the others had found Kuwabara and Yusuke sleeping. Or did he dream up that part? No matter if it was real or fake, Kurama would examine this voice further.  
  
Carefully stepping over the miniature park fence, Kurama walked closer to find, there, lounging on the grass was Yusuke.  
  
"Yusuke! I'm so glad to have found you at last! I need to have you tell me something." Kurama approached warmly.  
  
"Who are you? How do you know my name?" The teenager spoke suspiciously of the other.  
  
"Nani? Look, Yusuke if you're playing a game, I'm really not in the mood. I have something important to ask you. Our last mission, what was it about?"  
  
"Look buddy, I've never seen you in my life. I don't know how you know my name, but if don't leave you might just find my fist in your face." Yusuke replied, a little defensively.  
  
"Hey, Urameshi, whatcha doing?" A recognizable carroty haired boy asked casually, coming down the park path.  
  
"Kuwabara, finally you came, what toke you so long? Don't tell me you got lost on your way here." Yusuke asked lazily, stretching out a yawn.  
  
"For your information, Urameshi, I was feeding Eikichi! It's not always about you!"  
  
"Whatever. Let's just go okay?"  
  
Kurama was extremely perplexed at this point. He could figure out why they wouldn't recognize him. Edging his way over to Kuwabara, he gently tapped him on the shoulder.  
  
"Kuwabara? Can you tell me what's going on?" Kurama asked innocently.  
  
"Aaaahh!! What the heck was that? Urameshi, I just got a really bad vibe." Kuwabara yelled, jumping out of his skin.  
  
"You're such a wuss, Kuwabara."  
  
"I'm serious Urameshi! Something weird is here! I think it might be a evil spirit." Kuwabara said tensely.  
  
"Then let's leave already." Yusuke replied carelessly, walking away.  
  
"I'm with you, this place can get creepy sometimes."  
  
"Matte! Kuwabara, Yusuke! Can't you see me?" Kurama called out at the two of them walking away.  
  
But they did not stop. Kurama frantically tried to think, throwing his hands to his head. He then realized his hands were fading away. His whole body was fading into nothing.  
  
He watched the two of them walk further away. "Matte... Don't forget me." Kurama called out one last time before he vision went blurry.  
  
Kurama groaned when his senses returned back to him. A dream. It had been all a dream. Kurama cursed silently to himself for being so moronic to believe he was free of his tribulations. That anger would have occupied his mind for a time, but there was something else more pressing. Kurama became conscious of the fact that he could distinguish nothing in the hallway. It had grown completely pitch black.  
  
Kurama stood up slowly, letting the back wall guide him upwards. Kurama expected to feel the indent of the windowsill, but received nothing but the touch of cold stone.  
  
The window had vanished. Either that or... he was in another room.  
  
This struck panic in the kitsune's mind. He had fallen asleep. Who knows what happened to him during that time. _'Not mention that sleep was not at all worth it.'_ He thought bitterly to himself. Kurama had woken up more confused, which only led to more exhaustion.  
  
He attempted feel around for anything that would give him some clue to where he was now. But in return he collected no answers. It was silent where he was. Only the sound of his quickened heartbeat kept him company. It dawned on him. The truth was he had been imprisoned. Someone or something had found him, sound asleep, the easiest prey in all three worlds. He couldn't believe it. All the times being chased, of almost being caught, and slumber was his bane. He had practically given himself up. He might as well walk right to his foe's gates, tied up with a red bow. (Oh, there are so many things to comment on that, but I won't.)  
  
Kurama leaned back his head against the chamber. His ears twitched at a small sound. It was thumping. Closer it came until Kurama made the comprehension that they were footsteps. A light flickered from beneath what appeared to be a door. It groaned as it was forcefully swung open.  
  
Standing tall on its hind legs was a very powerfully built tengu. Making its way into the room, the tengu grabbed Kurama up by his chinese tunic, and slung him effortlessly over its shoulder. Anyone one in his situation would have fainted. Kurama was too dismayed to even perform that.  
  
He knew he could not fight off the tengu. Its grip was far too firm. All he could do was wait for his executioner to take him wherever he was to go. The fox sighed and closed his eyes. The creature carried down an unlit hallway, giving Kurama no indication of where he was or going anyway. Upon approaching another door, in which light was seeping out, beneath Kurama's eyelids, he could make out a rush of illumination. The tengu brought his walking to a halt. Kurama opened his eyes slowly; fearfully awaiting what would happen to him next.  
  
Thrown roughly to floor, Kurama exhaled before he lifted his head up gingerly. His eyes widened. There, standing in all his malevolence, was Karasu.

* * *

It's time for Cultural Enrichment from amber energy! – Japanese castles or shiro in Japanese, starting popping up during the Sengoku or Warring states period. Surrounding the innards of the castle, was a large fortified curtain wall. Inside was the main keep (donjon or tenshu in Japanese.) strongly built and several stories high. Ha! Take that! School. Smhool. You can learn more things with me! And it's all about Japan!

* * *

Hola amigos! Yeah I know. So many things are going through your mind right now. (Or if you are still brain dead, it's all good.) So what heck about those tengu, huh? How were they able to appear so fast? Well they are very quick to respond to another's or a fellow Karasu's henchman er animal. Before when they were chasing Kurama and Tebiki, they had no specific location of where they were, so they couldn't go as fast. They can be extremely swift when they know exactly where they are going.  
  
Okay, second thing. Why did Kurama have to fall asleep? He'd never do something like that! Okay that's Kurama in the normal world. In Karasu's mind, things are 10 times more exhausting then in the normal world for someone not used to it. Kurama has been running around like crazy, keep in mind that time is also different here, he couldn't help falling asleep. If he didn't, he probably would have died. Your mind can only take so much before it shuts itself down. So Kurama really had no say. His impulses kicked in to stop him from killing himself. It just happened in the wrong place at the wrong time.  
  
And about him being captured when he was asleep, did you really think Karasu would have some random window open? I mean that's way too convenient. Karasu could have just given Kurama no opportunities. But I suppose he enjoyed toying with the fox. And lastly... Why did he have to be captured? Okay, every time he has faced enemies in this world he has managed to escape. I couldn't have him win ALL the time.  
  
Wow. That was a lot of explaining. (Brain shutting down) zzzzzzzzzzzzz Okay I'm back! Now to tell everyone of next chappie! Kidding, it's a surprise! But I will tell you it will not be fun or Kurama. Karasu is going to seriously mess with his mind. Poor fox! There's some... other things too, but I will not tell! Hahahaha! I will make you suffer! Until I post the next chappie. Which I will try to do soon. As they say on my home planet, &$#&%$!! 


	6. Diverse emotions

Hi everyone! Okay I know what you all are thinking. What took me so long to post another chappie? It is simple. I moved houses! And moving requires a lot of time, energy... blah, blah, blah, okay let me get to the point. Gomen for the wait, but now you don't have to anymore, okay! So here's the quote! "As I said before, I never repeat myself." "A day without sunshine is like, you know, night." Wow, where would the world be if we didn't have all these clever people who say these things? Probably a lot better off. But not as entertaining. Speaking of entertainment, here's the next chappie! Enjoy!

* * *

There, standing in all his malevolence, was Karasu. 

The tips of Karasu's pale lips curled upward. (No people, he is not wearing his mask. I don't think he would really need one in his mind anyway.)

"Hello, Kurama." Karasu uttered in a coaxing tone as he peered down upon his powerless prey.

Kurama kept his stare, eyes wide, his mind was completely blank. His magnetic foe bent down, offering a hand to help pull him up from the floor. Kurama gawked at the hand before his mind snapped back into motion. Looking disgustingly at the hand, he pushed himself off from the ground as fast as he could, making his rejection of Karasu's help known.

But Karasu's smile never faltered. He had been expecting that kind of reaction from his red haired captive. Pulling himself up straight again, he gazed into the mists that were Kurama's orbs, then his own lavender eyes roamed Kurama's form, giving him a look over. The latter action was generating in Kurama a very uncomfortable feeling. Finally after he was satisfied, he spoke again to his detained kitsune.

"Ohisashiburi desu."(It's been long time.) Karasu spoke softly, tilting his head slightly.

Kurama wished he could've replied to that with a snide remark such as, 'Not long enough,' but the muscles in his throat were not able to conjure a single sound. And it wasn't just this time, either. Karasu always seemed to have a strange effect on Kurama whenever he was near him.

Karasu's vocals, however, were perfectly suave as he pressed the conversation further.

"I have many things to say to and ask of you, but Kurama, there one question that I am eager to have answered. I can't help but wonder why you of all people would come into my castle willingly." Karasu toke a slight step forward as he said this, causing Kurama to want the chance to step back, but the tengu remain right behind him, spreading its large wings to damper any hope of retreat.

"I myself came up with two different solutions. Either you have a most strange logic in that mind of yours, or that you, in fact, desired to be here." Karasu's eyes glimmered a faint red as he spoke his last sentence, his own words filling him with an eerie excitement.

In response to that statement, Kurama snapped his head back, eyes narrowed with a dangerous glow. Even though at the moment he could not speak, he wanted to make it extremely clear that he most certainly did NOT want to be there. Although Kurama tried to look as menacing as he could, in his position, he was about as dangerous as a newborn pup with its eyes still shut. Karasu merely chuckled at this. Damn that bastard. He had managed to deride everything that Kurama did. The fox was just falling into another one of Karasu's games, allowing himself to show his feelings.

"Kurama, is there really a need for such a harsh look? After all, we are old friends, ne?" Karasu chuckled lightly, watching Kurama's expression intently.

But Kurama would not allow Karasu to get satisfaction from him this time. He put on his best poker face; he would not permit Karasu to play with him. Though as Kurama would later find out, Karasu hadn't even begun his fun with him.

When Karasu realized Kurama was not going to let him play, his smile dropped a bit. But being composed character he was, he decided to merely alter his plans a little.

"Enough games for now. I can see you are weary from your travels. Perhaps a bit of rest is in order, before we continue this rendezvous? After all, I am a reasonable host, and wish to accommodate my visitors, most of all my guest of honor."

Kurama stanced himself defensively, although secretly he did wish to go back to sleep, he did not enjoy the idea of becoming so exposed to Karasu's actions. But something inside told him that he would have little choice to what he wanted to do.

And the kitsune was right. This was Karasu's abode, and what he said, went.

Karasu coolly waved his hand through the air in a fluid motion. Kurama's eyes widened as the air around him grew heavy. Kurama instinctly rushed his hand to protect his mouth and nose from the invisible gas.

But it was no avail; the fox's body went limp, dropping his arms at his sides, and his eyes giving way to the oncoming darkness. Kurama was unconscious within few seconds, completely unaware of the fact that he fell directly into Karasu's awaiting arms.

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Back at the lab where Kurama's body was being detained, Yusuke came stumbling out of a sliding mechanic door. He let out a big yawn and stretched his arms high into the air, arching his back.

"Good to see you got some sleep." Koenma smiled faintly from lack of energy.

"Hey, Koenma, haven't you gone to sleep yet?" Yusuke questioned, plopping down in a chair next to him.

"Iie, as leader of this it is my duty to be on watch every second."

"You feel bad for Kurama that's it, isn't it?" Yusuke asked, seeing through Koenma.

"Maybe I shouldn't have sent him. I hate having someone have to endure what I made him do."

"Why didn't you send me then? I thought for sure that was how it would be. You know as usual." Yusuke asked confused.

"I was so sure that Kurama was the best choice, and he probably still is. But something deep inside is feeling so guilty for some reason." Koenma sighed in melancholy.

"Don't beat yourself up over it. I'm sure Kurama's gonna do great. He's a hell of a lot smarter than me that's for sure."

"I hope this works out for better than worse. I fear the entire human race will feel the cruelty of that lunatic demon if he is not stopped. He takes tremendous pleasure in the torment of others." Koenma stated disgustingly.

"Hey maybe we should bring him to some parties, he seems like a real people person." Yusuke added sarcastically.

"Yusuke, please no wise cracks. Your sarcasm won't help us." Koenma gave Yusuke a no nonsense stare.

"But it sure passes the time." Yusuke joked full heartedly. It made Koenma smile, even just for a little bit.

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Stirring from his peaceful slumber, the kitsune's soft fingertips glided over the surface of the object that supported his body. Reacting to the silken response his senses gave him, Kurama's eyes gently fluttered open.

Kurama found himself lying on a satin draped four-poster bed, that's onyx curtains surrounding the frame drawn to a close. Kurama blinked a few times, adjusting to the fact there was hardly any light where he was located. And that reminded him, just where exactly was he? Kurama lifted his hand to his brow, groaning in an attempt to remember what happened before he blacked out.

It then hit him. Karasu had knocked him out. Who knows where he had been put now. Kurama really didn't care where; it was all the same to him, dark and creepy. But residing where Karasu had left him meant a pretty good chance the crow-tamer would be back for him.

It surprised Kurama a little to see he was not restrained down. He would have expected Karasu to bind him or something of the sort, but no, not a fetter in sight. Then again it didn't fit Karasu's style exactly. He was not the type to keep one out of choices, for the more choices his victims had, the more fun it was to play. Though he seriously doubted Karasu would allow him to escape from the castle.

After Kurama was done contemplating, curiously he wandered over to the edge of the bed, ready to discover what was lurking behind the bulky drapes. Gently, Kurama parted the long curtains, gazing out into the obscurity.

"See anything interesting?" A nonchalant voice muttered from behind Kurama.

Kurama's eyes instantly widened with dread at the familiarity of the voice. Whirling around Kurama found the owner of the voice causally seated on the other side of the mattress, leaning on a pole.

Karasu smiled knowingly, always one step ahead of Kurama. The fox was confused for a second time in his encounters with Karasu just how he managed to sneak up on Kurama without the slightest sound. After all he was the one who was the thief; he couldn't understand why Karasu kept on beating him.

"You never did answer my question, why exactly did you come so willingly in?" Karasu asked calmly and coolly. Fortunately, this time Kurama found enough strength to speak.

"You're an intelligent being, figure it out." Kurama spat, caring very little to hide the revulsion he felt for Karasu.

"Oh my, feisty are we? I see you still possess a fiery spirit. I am beginning to remember why I liked you so much." Karasu spoke, his eyes wild with an unearthly glow.

"Yes, such life. This will make things _so _much more entertaining."

"I hate to disappoint you Karasu, but I do not intend to stay." Kurama interjected quickly, intent on stopping where the conversation was headed.

"Then why did you come? Ah yes, you were sent were you not? To stop me?

"I... know not what you mean." Kurama slowly replied, a little a taken back at Karasu's precise comprehension.

"Kurama, please, do not belittle me with such pathetic artificial innocence. I am well aware of your 'mission.'" Karasu's accuracy stopped Kurama dead in his tracks.

"You came here in order to find the location of my body so the Reikai could destroy it, did you not?"

"You... you know everything?" Kurama asked timidly, beginning to feel very uneasy.

"Of course, how could I not? It was so predictable of the Reikai. I must say though I am very pleased with the results. I wasn't sure whether influencing Jr. would work."

"Influencing Koenma!?? What are you talking about, Karasu?" Kurama's full attention on Karasu's answer.

Karasu smiled. "The toddler has been under so much stress, he simply has let down his guard. I've been listening to his thoughts. Quickly thinking of how he would deal with me, who he would send to stop me, issues like that. So uptight, his mind was, one would almost feel sorry for him."

"In other words, you mean to tell me, that you can not only read thoughts inside of your own mind, but ones on the outside, even the thoughts of the son of Enma?"

"No, I believe those are the perfect words." Smirking sophisticatedly at his own words.

"You lie." Kurama retorted, narrowing his eyes intensely.

"And what would I gain by lying to you? Tell me the truth, Kurama; do you really believe I am lying?" Karasu gently asked, still in control as ever.

Kurama thought straightforwardly on this. Though he hesitated on replying, he knew what his answer was.

"No."

"You are merely confused right now. That's understandable. Do not worry, everything will make sense in the end." Karasu's eyes glistened with eagerness.

"But that still leaves the part when you spoke of influencing Koenma unexplained."

"Yes," Karasu said, tilting his head, "I assume you wish to know what I mean?"

"Well, perhaps I should show you. Actions do speak louder than words."

"Nani? Show me?" Kurama questioned, puzzled, not understanding what exactly he meant.

And in a flash, Karasu disappeared. Kurama's eyes widened at the vanishing of Karasu.

The kitsune apprehensively searched around him. Karasu disappearing was never a good sign.

"Don't worry this won't hurt." A coaxing voice spoke from his side. "Much, that is."

The kitsune gasped considerably, being taken off guard. Whirling his head to his right, he found Karasu inches away from him. Before Kurama had a chance to do anything, Karasu plunged his protracted icy fingers into Kurama's mind.

Kurama instantly jerked back, releasing a deep-throated moan. Kurama's face grimaced in pain as Karasu's fingertips drove deeper into his psyche. (Karasu, that jerk, it hurt Kurama! Then again, maybe Karasu has a different idea of pain.)

An image flashed before Kurama within his mind. It appeared to be of Koenma and Botan sprinting out from the Gates of Judgment.

"Koenma, sir, how much time do we have?" Botan asked concerned, glancing at him out of the corner of her eye as she ran beside her superior.

"Not any to spare I'm afraid." Koenma grimaced, his highness decked in full teenage form.

"My oar can hold the both of us, sir, but am afraid I can't fly as fast."

"I don't intend to ride with you, Botan. I'll be taken a different route, to save time."

"I understand, Koenma-sama." Botan nodded as she summoned her oar and mounted it hastily.

"We'll meet at the tunnel's end, Botan."

"Hai." Botan answered as she took to the skies. Koenma watched her depart until she was no longer in sight. The tunnel was not far. He was glad that only royalty could use it. Otherwise it would be swarming with souls. There had been a lot of deaths lately, Koenma had noticed, especially since he had to approve all the paper work. (That still didn't keep him from playing video games though.) He hoped it didn't relate to the current situation.

Koenma sighed in relief as he entered the tunnel. But the problem with the tunnel is that you had to cross by foot, and he was getting tired very fast.

'_Maybe I should have worked out more_," Koenma thought as his breaths came out in pants.

Koenma shook his head. That wasn't important now. He had to decide what to do once he got down to the Ningenkai. He would have to round up the Reikai Tantei, Yusuke and Kuwabara at the same school, Kurama at his elite school, and Hiei, well if they were lucky enough to find him at all.

Then something came to Koenma's attention. If they were to stop this guy, they would go in his mind, just what he explained to the tech support of the Reikai. But that meant only one person could go.

That was a problem. He'd have to pick one of the four fighters to go. Naturally he'd pick Yusuke, but Kurama had fought the youkai before, and then there was Hiei, but physical strength would be of little use, and Kuwabara, well, he wasn't going to even venture there.

'_Who? Who do I chose? This is not a decision where I can just draw straws. What do I do?'_

He was approaching the end of the tunnel, he would have to decide now. As he drew near, he felt an unfamiliar wind blow past him, coming from the exit.

'_Choose Kurama.' _A voice in the back of his head whispered. '_Huh? Kurama?'_ Koenma asked himself. _'Choose him.' _The voice repeated.

'_Maybe I should choose Kurama. After all he did fight Karasu before. Not to mention he's extremely clever. Then it's decided. I pick him.' _

Koenma nodded his head as he made his decision and made his way out of the tunnel. Up ahead was Botan. Perfect timing. He would explain things to her.

The image faded as Karasu slowly withdrew his fingers. Kurama yelped as his senses returned, the bed coming back into focus.

It took Kurama a couple of seconds before he recovered from his experience. Slowly, he turned his head to face Karasu.

"It was you." Kurama stated in realization. "You really did persuade Koenma to send me."

"You're finally beginning to understand." Karasu uttered gently, his facial features softening.

"So not only did you expect my coming, you planned it. Why?" Kurama asked, filled with mixed emotions.

"I've wanted to see you. And I've never been a patient man." Karasu reached out to stroke Kurama's face.

"Don't touch me!" Kurama hissed backing away.

Karasu, rather amused with the reaction asked, "would you rather I went inside you instead?" Karasu's eyes shone with shady intent.

"Get away from me." Kurama snapped back, his arms protectively wrapped around his knees.

But Karasu paid no attention, as he once again drew closer to Kurama. "Karasu!" Kurama shrieked as his retreating had caused him to fall backwards over the side of the bed.

Kurama instinctively dung his nails into the side of the bed to stop the fall. Kurama's eyes flickered to the ground, back up, and then back down when it came to his comprehension that there _was_ no floor. Beneath him was just an empty void, a bottomless pit. Kurama immediately began to grow fearful of the idea of falling. What if he let go, would he be lost in Karasu's mind? He did not wish to know the answer, but his grip on the edge of the bed was loosening. Kurama's nails ripped though the material, he couldn't hold on.

Kurama closed his eyes in dread of watching himself fall. That's when Kurama felt a strong grip on his right wrist.

Kurama opened his eyes quickly. "Karasu??"

"Tsk. Tsk. You're so tense."

Kurama paused. He didn't know Karasu would do next. All he could do was stare into his eyes helplessly.

"Fear and anger are what keep us going. What makes us truly alive, Kurama. You possess such a fierce spirit, like no other." Karasu said with such zealousness in his voice.

"I will enjoy breaking it." He simply stated, both his eyes and Kurama's widening.

Kurama cried out and Karasu smirked as he completely let go of his hold on Kurama's wrist. Kurama snapped his eyes closed, awaiting the long plunge into the darkness.

But instead he was met with a hard stone surface.

"Nani?" Kurama asked himself bewilderedly as he opened his eyes. There before him and underneath him was a solid marble floor.

Kurama looked up at Karasu with a pained expression. He was leaning relaxed as ever against the bed. But that wasn't what bothered Kurama. Karasu's sadistic smile began to turn into a laugh. One Kurama knew all too well.

'_Please, you guys,' _Kurama thought desperately,_ 'Hurry up.'_

* * *

Ooooo. Things aren't going so well for Kurama right now. Karasu. Ooo that meanie!! He should leave the poor guy alone! Even though I'm the one writing this...er...what were we talking about? Me? Guilty? No way! Okay, but seriously would you want to read a story about the Reikai Tantei running through a field of daisies, holding hands, and singing? (_shudders at the thought_.) I didn't think so! Back to the topic of next chappie, I gotta warn you there is going to be some sexual scenes coming up. I know everyone's got a preference to what they like, but I need some help! I don't know if I should write it mildly, medium, or very descriptive. Please tell me how the level should be! And if you don't want any sexual content, too bad! Don't read it! Cause I'm gonna write it. And yeah. Well that's all folks. See ya later! Ja ne. 


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